Sonohysterogram

This procedure is used to determine if there are any abnormalities (such as polyps or fibroids) of the uterine cavity that could interfere with pregnancy.

What you can expect

The physician will place a small catheter into the uterus and sterile saline will slowly be injected into the uterine cavity. This will slightly inflate the uterus so that most abnormalities (polyps or fibroids) can be visualized with ultrasound. After the procedure, the saline will slowly drain out of the uterus, so you will need to wear a pad to protect your clothing. You may experience some light spotting (bleeding) after the procedure also.

My personal tips/experiencesThis procedure was worse for me than the HSG because my cervix is tilted. It was performed by the nurse who couldn’t seem to get the dye to go to the right place so they were never able to determine whether I had a polyp.

The worst part of this was that when I left I had the most horrible cramps that I have ever had – I think because she had injected so much dye (because she kept trying over and over again to no avail). I drove myself home from the appointment which was a big mistake – I would definitely suggest having someone come with you just in case yours goes anything like mine did. I almost had to pull over because the pain was making me nauseous (I only live about 10/15 minutes from my doctor’s office, but the ride felt like an eternity).

I came home from the appointment and lay down because my cramps were so bad. I think the best thing though is to walk around and let the saline drain out of you. Once it started to drain out, the cramps started to subside.

I would also suggest taking motrin or advil prior to going. They suggested this for the HSG for me but not for this procedure so I wasn’t prepared for the cramping.

Also, wearing a pad is a good idea because once the saline started to gush out (yes, mine did not slowly drain) I felt like I had peed myself (lovely picture, right?).

I did not have spotting immediately following the procedure but I did have it start a couple of days later. It was relatively heavy and lasted a good 4 days or so.

Honestly though, I think that this procedure goes pretty smoothly for the majority of women. Most women that I have heard from say that this procedure was much easier for them than the HSG so I definitely believe that experiences will vary greatly among people.

I finally found a wedsite that confirmed the side effects of a sonohystogram. I had mine last Tuesday (a week ago). Absolutely no problems with the procedure. No pain during or after.I used a pad after the procedure thinking I would have discharge. None. Wednesday night I woke up in the middle of the night with the worst pain since labor. The pain was a gripping pain around my lower chest and lower back on the right side. I could not breath during the attacks. The pain would come and go in any position- better if I walked around. This pain intensified until I had a gush of red blood and water discharge. Although, I felt a lot better. I have been left with a sore, stiff back. Doctor thinks the fluid must of got stuck somehow. Don’t know why I have back pain???

I had a sono a little over a week ago, even though there was no clinical reason to have one. My partner and I need ot use donor sperm, and the clinic requires the sono, so off we went. I took the anti-biotics like a good little girl, even though I don’t like taking such things, had the procedure, which was “uncomfortable”, to say the least, and now have a raging infection. My tubes and uterus were all clear, and are now busy being clogged up by an infection brought on by the sono. I know it is a necessary thing for many people, and that infections are rare as a side effect, but, be wary, and jump on ANY residual pain. None of it is normal and it won’t just go away. Kate

I am so glad I found this blog by chance today. I am having this procedure done Monday and afterwards have to work. I may need to change that plan though. I was planning to have my fiance’ drive me to it though. Great, buying pads- i’ve not done that in years… I have to say I pretty nervous about this procedure. I am having it done for reasons other than fertility at this point. I do worry however that in the future this could cause problems when I am ready for children.

I had a sonohystogram two days ago and I, too, have been suffering from a raging infection ever since. I think the diagnostic procedure is worse than the actual illness. I would think twice about this if you’re considering it.

I had one of these a few months ago and all went fine. I took 400 mg of ibuprofen an hour prior to the procedure and felt some mild cramping during, and that was it. I was pretty worried about it beforehand after hearing some horror stories, but the whole thing was quite easy for me.

I am going for my sonohystogram on Tuesday 12 July 07. I am pretty scared about the whole thing.I did go for a biopsy which was very uncomfortable but fortunately i had no pain,some bleeding though.I was told that my sample was not enough to derive any results.How cool is that? Why is there no procedure to bring out the dye after the sonhystogram is done? Why did Tracy need to suffer this? What about the infection? Why does Kate and Lori need to go through this?

hi friends,I had my sonohystogram done today. It was not too bad after all. The procedure is uncomfortable but not too much painful. It took about 1/2 hr. I had some mild to moderate cramps during the procedure and i did hv some bleeding after the procedure . I am asked to take antibiotics ,a day before ,on the day and the day after the procedure. i took 3 advils 1/2 hr before the sono was done. It is not all that bad and hopefully i wont have an infection.

my REI called this afternoon while I was at work to tell me that I have to be in tomorrow @ 8am for a sono. He didn’t tell me anything about antibiotics or to take ibupro. Should I be worried? I had a terrible experience with the tv ultrasound, they forgot I had a latex allergy and I ended up with terrible cramping a rash and difficulty breathing for 3 days. I am sooooo scared after doing some research and finding out that there’s always more to the procedure than the docs are willing to explain..am I overreacting?

Hey everyone!I had my sono done a couple days ago. Let me tell you…i am sooo afriad of doctors and after reading what i was gettin myself into i was really concerned. I took 2 advils about an hour before i went into the office and drank a lot of water as requested. thankfully it wasnt that painful but yes it was uncomfortable. i guess the worst part was the saline injection. it jus caused really bad cramping. after it was done i put on a bad and left. the whole thing took about 15-20 minutes. i started bleeding heavily the same day and still am. i guess its my long lost period…

I’m so sorry to hear about all the folks that have had pain and infection follow this procedure.

My experience was much better, and I didn’t have to take any painkillers or antibiotics. When they put the cath in, it hurt, but otherwise, it went very smoothly and they were able to discover some polyps that hadn’t appeared on my HSG (a much less pleasant procedure). Most of the saline gushed out when I sat up, which likely reduced the cramping other women had to endure.

Bring a pad with you: You will likely spot or have some of the solution emerge after the procedure.

I had a sono on wed.and was very nervous b/c i have had a hsg in the past that was pure misery! i had a seizure and passed out, so going into the sono i was expecting almost the same pain. But it was quick and not that bad, alittle cramoy when they inject the saline. I did not spot that day after the procedure but yest.a.m. and today a.m. i spotted alittle very light pale? so hopefully its ok? good luck to everyone, my husband and i are starting out 1stIVF cycle this month……yeah!!!!!!

Hello all, I had a sonohystogram about a week ago and i was freaking out when they described the procedure to me. It turned out not to be so bad at all. It was basically like getting a pap and i did not feel anything the whole time. I was told that i may cramp afterwards and to take something but there was no need. I say that if you go in there and relax and breath deeply (I did alot of that) then things will move smoothly. Also, I hear people on this post talking about infections, how do you know if you have an infection or not. I have noticed that i have been cramping latly but not sure if my cramps are just coming waaaayy late from the procedure or something.

I had the sono and let me tell you for a minor procedure, I have never felt so much pain afterwards. I had the worse cramping ever. I keiled over in pain while driving I went home and took two T3 with absolute no effect the pain never deminished at all. A few hours later I couldnt even walk. I was hunched over grasping my stomach. The pain was so severe I ended up in the hospital

I thought I had prepared well for this beforehand by reading all about it online, but I guess the after-effect I had is so uncommon, that I couldn’t have prepared myself for it. The procedure itself wasn’t awful – the worst part was the speculum (I hate speculums!) and the cramping at the insertion of the saline – even that wasn’t too bad. Afterward, I was told to wait in the waiting area for 15 min to make sure I was okay. During that time, but shoulders were hurting, but my husband thought it was likely b/c I was tensing up during the procedure. I dismissed it and went home. As soon as I got out of the car I realized something was really wrong. I was having sharp, shooting pain in my right shoulder and through my right side – more intense than anything I’ve felt before. I went home and tried to google what was going on, but found no link between SHG and shoulder pain. The doctor’s office said sometimes gas escapes into the body and moves upwards, causing pain until it dissipates. My mom (also a physician) thought possibly the gas bubble was pushing on a nerve in my diaphragm that is connected to my shoulder – hence the severe pain in both places. The only solution the clinic offered was to lie flat on my back until it disappeared – it was awful – I was bedridden for three days. Hot water bottles helped, but the minute I got upright, the pain would come right back. After three days, it subsided, thank God. Then, I got a UTI! The clinic insisted it had nothing to do with the procedure, but I’m inclined to think it did.

At least after all that suffering, we got the green light that everything is 100% clear and looks good in there.

I had my sonohystogram today. I was not told anything about taking any motrin beforehand, nor was I told to take any antibiotics. I arrived, had a vaginal ultrasound then the doctor came in and inserted the balloon and catheter to inflate me the size of being 6 weeks pregnant in like 4 seconds…talk about horrible. They said that it is easier on women who have ever delivered children vaginally, which I did deliver a 21 week baby who had died 13 years ago, but no pregnancies since then. I went to work, thought I would be ok but everytime I would get up and have to sit down I would have horrible cramps. I finally was having such horrible cramps that I left work early to go home and lay down, even though the fluid they injected kept draining out of me and causing me to go to the bathroom every so often because even with a pad on I hated feeling like I was leaking. After I rested a few hours, I began to feel much better and hope that this was the worst of it and that I don’t have any linger pain after tomorrow. If so, I will call my doctor because I fear infection. But, they did swab my cervix with 3 swabs of betadine…maybe that will keep the germs out well enough. Good luck to those who are going to have it done, be on the safe side and just take that day off and go home and rest after even if you don’t feel that bad during or after, better to be safe than get to work and be miserable and have to drive yourself home in agony.

I agree that it must be easier on women who have given birth. I had this procedure done about two weeks ago and I’m glad I didn’t read here first! It was no different from a pap smear to me except the gush of saline afterwards. I decided not to just let it trickle and forcefully pushed to make the saline and any air that could be in there come out as quickly as possible, and it mostly worked. Luckily, because I had to get on a plane to go back across the country directly afterwards by myself and would’ve been up shit’s creek if any of these complications had occurred! I was prescribed abx but did not take them because I felt the abx were more likely to wipe out my immune system leaving me more vulnerable to infection, and I knew I could always take them in case one did develop. But that’s a personal decision.

Had a Sonohystogram 5 days ago. I had a Leep 15 years ago and really don’t remember it being a big deal. I have a tilt which maybe made it even worse, but it was pretty bad for me. I would not consider myself “sensitive” but…after 800 mg of advil the night before and 800 mg of advil 2 hours before…It was not enough by a longshot. No mention of antibotics by my dr. During the procedure the dr had some issue with Leep scaring making it difficult somehow and Ouch! I had moderate pain the whole procedure and nothing easy about it. Glad when it was over…after a few minutes the cramping stopped but… a couple of hours later, I had huge pain and sitting was not easy – I could only lie down. I told endless amounts of advil and it didn’t help to finally it was my stomach that couldn’t take the advil but the pain remained. The next day was better but still sore. It took 3 days to feel ok, but still I have bloating after all these days. After everything I read online, I’m calling the dr. tomorrow because I still have faint pain and it is uncomfortable to sit and bloating…Has anyone else felt bloated by this procedure????

I had been very nervous about having either a HSG or a SHG … My dr told me that the HSG is way more painful than a SHG. I went in feeling brave .. inserting the cathetar was mildly painful for me but when it came to the ultrasound bit .. that was very painful .. I was crying. After the shock of it all .. I sat and waited to get the instant results from my DR who confirmed that my tubes were blocked and now they are unblocked … but the pain ….. so severe I became nauseas and fainted. I was given an injection for the pain immediatley and it subsided .. however when I got home i was still cramping and could hardly move. Its now about10 hrs later I am just starting to feel a bit better. My advice to anyone .. be ready to have the whole day off just in cases cos everyone reacts differently. And have somone a home to help you with making a cup of tea etc .. i couldnt move .. and dont plan to drive home!!! Good luck ladies .. I hate to think of the pain of HSG if thats worse??

I had this procedure done and it wasn’t all that bad. There is about a 10 second burst of extreme pain that occurs, and then it’s not bad. I did have some minor cramping, but nothing too bad and I was able to go to work right after the procedure. Be sure to take some tylenol or advil prior to having this done.

I have had the procedure done twice exactly a year apart. My first experience was horrible b/c I did not know what to expect. I do remember it being very uncomfortable and painful. However, the second procedure (one week ago) was painfull and uncomfortable as well b/c the doctor could not get my uterus to come down and had to use some type of instrument to grab hold of it and insert the cathera.(ouch) I think mentally it was not as bad the second time because I knew what was going to happen so deep breaths was my partner while having the procedure. There were cramps afterwards and light bleeding. Oh yeah the doctor had to use more saline than normal which increased the cramping. I did not return to work that day but went home, took so tylenol and went to bed. The next day occassional cramping and no spotting. I think my biggest issues with this test (SHG) is that its so evasive.

Hello all! Just wanted to share my experience. I am 30 years old and I have had three sonohysterograms. They did not turn out to be horrible so I think that it just depends on the person. The first time, I took advil before I went. The next two times of having this procedure done, I didn’t take anything and did not feel anything either. The only think that I noticed is that I got a yeast infection after the last two times which is irritation.

I am having a very hard time hearing how some women endure these tests more then once. how do you do it? I received a not so lovely present from a gyno when he insisted on performing an endo biopsy and I will never, I repeat, never let anyone back in there unless it’s a surgery and I am out. Out like a light that is. Why do you allow them to do these painful tests once you realize the lies they tell us on the pain and infection rates? If we all stood up and said, that’s enough, maybe insurance wouldn’t make us go through this with only advil. Wonder if they make the men go through this stuff with nothing for pain? I bet not.

I just wanted to share my experience with my sonohystagram yesterday. I read these posts previous to going in and it really helped to know what to expect. I took the equivalent of 2 alleve before going in and I only felt pressure, when they inserted the balloon and then the saline. It did not hurt, just a bit of pressure. I have only had mild discomfort since then, 24 hours ago, and with just advil it has kept me pretty comfortable. The only thing I have felt is like mild gas pain in my body. The doctor also put me on a strong anti-biotic in case of infection after the procedure. Had I not read these posts, I would not have had a “clue”, because my doctor told me nothing of what to expect! I hope this helps women are seeking some info. about this experience. Apparently it is truly different for each person. Keep the faith and remember to breath!

I had an SHG today and I was very nervous. I took 600mg ibuprofen 45 minutes before. The ultrasound tech told me that it was easier than the HSG (great! the HSG was a piece of cake for me, virtually painless), so I was pretty relaxed when the doc came in and got started. It was excruciating from the moment she inflated the balloon all the way through until the saline started to drain out, my uterus was protesting big time. The only good thing was that as soon as the saline drained, my pain was gone. I did bleed lightly the entire day. I could probably endure it again if I had to, but I’d prefer to never do it again if at all possible.

I’m so glad I found this. I thought maybe something was wrong with me. After getting the sono done, I never want to have another test again! I had the sono done last week and it was horrible. The doc said it was hard because I had never been pregnant. He had to use a device to bring down my cervix, and then he had trouble getting the catheter through it. That was enough to take my breath away. Once they inserted the saline, I thought I was going to die! I’m scared to death that I may eventually have to get an HSG done.

I’m also a little worried, because I’ve noticed that now it is slightly painful to have sex. I feels like my cervix is sore. Is this normal? I go in for my annual soon, so I’m bringing it up with my doc.

Thanks to SAHW for talking about your experience with your shoulder pain. I have been having shoulder and shoulder blade paion all day since coming home fomr the test (which was crampy and irritable but tolerable) but the pain in my shoulder is intense and although it comes in waves, each time it comes back it doesn’t lessen. I will be calling my doctor tomorrow to make sure there isn’t something more serious, but it’s good to know i am not the only one! Also i look forward (read sarcasm)to the yeast infection i will get shortly because i get them because of everything else, so why not this too!!!!!!

Well, I had read all these comments before I went for my saline sonogram yesterday… I took the two ibuprofen before leaving for the office. Note, that my doctor NEVER told me anything about taking painkillers beforehand, nor was I ever told the risks of the procedure….

Anyway, I would rate the cramping that I experienced at about a 6 or 7 on a scale of 10. Then, suddenly, the entire front of my abdomen felt like it was on fire! The sweat was pouring off me so badly, I soaked my shirt clean through. Soaked! The worst pain of my life! 10+++ on the scale.

Now, I have never been pregnant and I tend to have bad cramps with my periods too. I’m sure this affects the experience.

The pain subsided immediately after she removed all the crap from my body and the fluid gushed out. However, now, in the middle of the night, I have a continuing low-level burning sensation and am wondering what kind of infection has been introduced.

The whole procedure was performed under conditions that would hardly be rated as sterile. The saline itself came from a little bottle that was kept, unrefrigerated, in a drawer! The ultrasound probe was covered with a latex glove by the nurse who did not wash her hands before putting in on the probe. Gawd!

I swear–medical care for women borders on the barbaric. I can’t wait until they tell men that they need to inflate their scrotums with saline in order to diagnose testicular cancer. Or squash their precious packages between flat plastic plates and shoot them with radiation. NOT!

I had this procedure done 2 days ago. During the procedure I experienced cramping which I was told would go away in 20 minutes to a half hour. It has been 2 days and I am still having cramping, soometimes pretty severe. I called the doc and she said she’d perscribe a pain med. However, would that just be masking the problem?

I just had my first Saline Sonohystogram and it wasn’t bad at all. There was some cramping, but nothing horrible. Most of the saline leaked out as the procedure ended (while I was still on the table), but I did leak a little for 30 minutes afterwards. I took the advice listed here and took some Advil beforehand, I’m sure that helped dull the cramps. I’m still experiencing some cramping (5 hours later), but it’s very minor, just like after an IUI.

I’m glad I had the procedure, because they found at least three polyps.

I just had a sonohystogram – I was also not given any prior advice about taking Advil or antibiotics. My doctor told me that it might be painful, that I would experience cramping and that I may have shoulder and neck pain afterwards. I have had all of the above and find that the pain is quite uncomfortable when I walk around but I am fine laying in bed. I definitely wasn’t planning on spending the day in bed! I am glad to have read the other posts and will go to work prepared with pads and advil and be on the look-out for signs of infection.

I had a SHG yesterday afternoon. I was told about the entire procedure at my prior appt, and right before the actual procedure. Everything was very sterile. The doctor even yelled at the nurse to unwrap the tools the correct way, and instead he just took over handling the tools himself. I was impressed. I wasn’t instructed to take any antibiotics or ibuprofen before. He explained everything he was doing. At first they interested the speculum, but he said it’s a larger one and it may be more informtable than a normal PAP. Then he said he was sterilizing the cervix, which took a few minutes. Then he said he was insterting the cathiter and I may experience some mild cramping, or nothing at all and that it’s different for all women. A few seconds later —EXTREME PAIN. I screamed and started crying. He seemed shocked and told me to tell him when the pain stops. It did after a few seconds. He had repositioned the cathiter. He then asked if I was okay to continue the procedure and I said yes. He then inserted the vaginal untrasound wand, and then said he was intersting the saline through the cathiter. Immediately it began pouring, but he was able to to get some good screen shots. He said the reason the saline came out so fast is that he didn’t blow up the balloon, because it would be very painful for me, and he didn’t want to do that to me. He said at that point the SHG wouldn’t be able to be 100% complete, because of all the pain I was experiencing. He actually didn’t want to continue – I thanked him because it was awful. He did ask me if it was okay to just do a comprehensive vaginal ultrasound instead, since I was tolerating the wand inside me. I did have some light bleeding after, and my belly is sore and tender today.

I just got back from my appointment. It was nothing! I’ve had pap smears worse than this appointment. It is unfortunate that other posters had adverse side effects, but I just wanted to say don’t stress!! I took 600 mg of advil an hour before and had no cramping during and only minor cramping a few hours after the procedure.

Just had mine this morning. It was done by a nurse — is it normal not to have a doctor do such an invasive procedure? She used the jumbo speculum at first, until I screamed for her to stop (it was so incredibly painful – like tearing me inside). She said she couldn’t, but the technician suggested she just use a regular speculum, which she then did, and it was a lot more tolerable (like a regular, uncomfortable procedure). There was some cramping when the saline went in, but mild in comparison to the sharp pain of the speculum. Hours later and I still have a lot of abdominal pain (not cramping, just pain). There was no mention of antibiotics. I hope there’s no infection. I would never agree to this procedure again.

Hello there, I just had my sonohysterogram done this morning and I have to say, I wasn’t expecting for it to hurt as much as it did. It’s for a reason, that when you get pregnant the baby grows so slowly, so you don’t have to experience the pain of a sonohysterogram when your uterus goes from small to the size of a 10 week pregnant woman in about 30 seconds! Well, I had a Endometrial Biopsy last Thursday, and it hurt less than this procedure. Anyway, I came back to work right after, and about two hours after everything was over, I started cramping like never before. I took two Advils and went to the bathroom to push whatever else I could out of me! nothing but a bit of blood came out, still really sore although the advil helped A LOT. I wasn’t told to take or my doctor didn’t prescribed any antibiotics. Neither for the biopsy. I guess I’ll just watch for signs of infection. Hopefully this is all over soon. Good luck to the ones that are going to get it done. You’ll be fine, remember to breath like you are giving birth during the saline injection, and relax; it’s really all you can do. Wishing you the best results possible. Think of it this way, after all, it’s better to get this done and know that you are healthy, than be afraid of the procedure and end up with bigger problems later on.

i had my 4th sono last week. None of my sono’s were bad at all,until my app. last week. My doc. put me on antibiotics the day before sonojust in case of infection. The day after my sono i woke up with terrible pain on my left side.I couldn’t even walk and was trembling with a fever.When the pain sub-sided i drove my self to my dr.’s office. He did blood workand told me that my white blood cell count was rising,which is not good!!!Needless to say i was admitted to the hospital and put on iv for 3 days. I was told the my fallopian tube on my left side was infected.After this horrible expierence i will never have this test done again unless it is absolutly necessary.Has anyone gone through this before?

I've had 2 of these. The first was fine, not too painful – just a little crampy.

The second one was a f****** nightmare! The doctor screwed up and the balloon fell out of my uterus and water was coming out of me from her pumping it in so my uterus started to contract and spasm. I started to cry. She pulled it out and said she had to start over again with a new one. Lord! So she starts again, my uterus is far less happy and I just started to cry and wince.

When she was done I sat up and she was telling me it went fine, blah, blah, blah but I heard nothing because I was still in such agony that I just wanted her to get the hell out of the room. When she left, I sat on the table and actually cried like a little girl. I felt like I'd been friggen raped – the pain was still intense. Probably ten minutes before I could stand. I was bleeding plenty with water fluid. They said it was "normal."

Holy smokes!

(Incidentally, I had an endo biopsy that was a piece of cake by comparison – though I was medicated)

I just had my first sono 6 days ago, and while I haven't had as horrible an experience as some, it definitely wasn't a walk in the park. I had some pretty bad cramping throughout the procedure and afterwards for about 24 hours. It seemed to be better when I was sitting or laying down (I curled up on the couch with ice cream and Seasons 1-3 of Supernatural). I had some medium bleeding for about 4 days afterwards as well. The part that freaked me out was the intense right shoulder/neck pain that didn't let up for 2 days. It felt better when I stretched and I slept with a heating pad on it for the first night. Luckily I haven't had a fever or any burning or extreme pain, but I am having some bad cramping right now, six days later.My technician and doc were great, I was told about the advil/tylenol and infection possibility ahead of time, and the doc actually deflated the balloon a bit to reduce some of the cramping. When I went and saw my GP, she said it would have been worse for me because I've never had kids and my cervix was more closed than women who've given birth.All in all…it sucked. But at least I know my tubes aren't blocked now.

My gyn just told me that I need to have this done today while I was at an appointment. Now since reading some of these post, I am very scared. I had the endo biopsy done 2 weeks ago, and my doctor thinks that I have some polyps. So she says I need to have the sono to see the polyps, then set up a D&C. Since she already knows I need a D&C and with that they scrape everything out, I don't understand why I need this extra procedure. I really hope I don't have as bad an expierence as some of you ladies…I'll just have to remember, I am doing all of this so I can have a baby. Thank you all for your advice. -Angie

My experience with the sonohystogram was much better than with the endometrial biopsy. This procedure was a million times faster and easier. I took a mild pain killer before I went and although I felt a pinch when they entered the cervix, it was not unbearable. I just concentrated on breathing and it was over pretty quickly. Definitely take some pain meds as a preventative measure! Glad I had this done because my dr. was able to see some uterine polyps and I finally have some useful info after years of blood testing.

I had my SHG done 6 days ago and I am still bleeding as if I was on my period. My period ended 3 days before I went in so I am not sure why this is going on. I am making an appt. to get checked tomorrow but has anyone had this experience?

I had a sonohysterogram this morning … I was so worried and nervous about it after reading about some people's experience, but it was NOTHING. I literally almost felt nothing except a tinyyyyyy little pinch when the catethader passed through my cervix. It was over in no time and I wish I hadn't been so nervous and worked up. It was a breeze. I DID take 3 200mg ibuprofen before hand and was fine!

I don't want to scare anyone, but I was expecting this to be much easier than the HSG, which I only found mildly uncomfortable. It was HORRIBLE. It hurt from start to finish and by the time he was done I was shaking from the pain.

I took 4 advil an hour before the procedure, but I don't know if it made a difference. The worst of it felt like a crippling AF cramp–the kind that make you want to assume the fetal position, which of course you can't do while spread eagle with feet in stirrups.

I have a retroverted uterus, so even a regular ultrasound is painful for me. He didn't have any problems getting the catheter through my cervix (although it was pretty painful). The balloon was also painful, but the saline was where it really got bad. I felt so bad 15 minutes after it was done that I was still catching my breath in the parking lot. I would take a HSG, or hell even a cystoscopy, which I didn't think anything could touch, over this any day of the week.

It's been two hours and my uterus is still screaming at me, especially when I stand up.

Wow I am so sorry all of you went through this. I went to the dr's to get one and agree even though this was a very nice dr. office I didn't think the prep work was too sanitary. Same thing all the cath. and clamps in a drawer. Granted they were in plastic but still didn't seem very organized. Yes they used gloves. They tried 3 different sizes of clamps and after literally having a doctor and the nurse both facing in there with large swabs tell me my cervix is too closed to do the procedure…even after they tried with some kind of medicine. Maybe my cervix is clairvoyant to all the pain you guys witnessed! I told them to stop trying after the third attempts with the clamps. I was headed in there to check for a endometrial polyp that was there two years ago and mysteriously disappeared but I am still not getting pregnant after 2 artificial insems, and two ivfs so need to check and see if that is still causing some havoc. Going to try a different dr. office. Not thrilled with this dr. group anyway! Maybe they can knock me out for the procedure…ugg.

I just had a sonohystergram on Thurday and it felt like I was giving birth. I took 800mg of IB an hr before and took the antibiotics before and after like they told me. They gave me a pad to wear and said I may leak and bleed. Well I had it at 4:30 and was in bed by 9 in pain. It's now Sat night and I am still bleeding like full flow and I just stopped my period on Tuesday????

Wow, I’m due to go in for a Sonohysterogram and after reading all of these accounts (except for a few), I’m really scared now. I keep putting off making that call to make the appointment. I’ve been prescribed antibiotics prior to the procedure and told to take 2 Advil one hour before.

I’ve already had a Uterine Biopsy and read the posts about that procedure as well. Thankfully, it wasn’t as bad as what I’d read about people passing out and being “in shock” and crying in their cars, throwing water across the room and nearly falling off of tables. Holy crow, that scared the everliving daylights out of me. I was shaking as I went in just through the accounts that I’d read about it. All that I can say is that for me, it was not at all that bad! It was a quick pinch, an intense cramp for a second or two and done. I was up and out and other than some menstrual like cramping and some light flow bleeding for a couple of days afterwards (Advil helped the cramping tremendously), it was really nothing like what everyone was describing.

So, onto this Sonohysterogram with the hopes that I’m more like the few who have posted a good experience as was the case with my Endometrial Biopsy.

I sometimes have to put things into perspective. Each of us has a different pain tolerance and even then, some days, we can endure more than others…even the strongest of us. The one thing is that if we need these testings done, we have to have them. I also have to keep in mind (as I think everyone should), the majority of people who have these tests aren’t necessarily posting on the net so, the majority of those who have no real big problems with the testings are not on forums, posting their experiences necessarily. That means that oftentimes, we get “lopsided” in our view of things because we’re only hearing the stories of those who have had experiences bad enough that they are still feeling the effects or remember them vividly and post them. We are not hearing ALL of the “good stories”. Those people just don’t tend to feel the need to post them. I feel sorry for those who have had a very difficult time. My heart goes out to them and of course, I hope to be one of the “good stories” and am thankful to those who have posted their good stories as it’s rarer to hear the good ones than the bad ones.

Anyways, wish me luck and I wish others luck as well who have to go through these testings. It sucks that we have to go through them but, I guess, in the long-run, we should be glad that we have this type of thing available for us so that we can be healthy and in the case of having a baby….get to that end result.

My best of wishes to those of you who are trying to conceive and start a family! May your arms be filled with bundles of joy soon!

By the way, I just meant to mention one thing. I remember when I was pregnant with my daughter (first child for me). It seemed that everyone who had ever given birth, felt the need to tell me some “horror story” about their experience with giving birth. There was always some gripping point to their story that had me flipping out. I remember being in the labor room, going through contractions, thinking of all of these horror stories and yeah, it was painful in the last few hours (mainly because I didn’t know that I could have had the epidural…DUHHHHH! :)) but, I was talking to the nurse about the horror stories and she said, “My dear (she was an older nurse)…and, how many children did these women have?” I thought about it and all of them had at least 2 children or more. “Two or more,” I replied. She simply smiled and said, “Do you really think that they’d go back and do it all over again if it was THAT bad?” Well, she was right. I survived quite nicely.

I had an S(saline) HSG. My doctor’s office recommended taking antibiotics 2 days before and several days after the procedure. About the last two days of the antibiotics (about one week after the shsg) I noticed symptoms of burning and raw vagina and some ricotta cheese type discharge–believed to be yeast infection. The yeast infection treatment (over the counter) said that those who were treated with antibiotics were also at risk of getting a yeast infection. The antibiotic treatment kills the good bacteria which is supposed to protect you against a yeast infection. I would also recommend eating yogurt which is supposed to get your vaginal ph back to normal. Talk with your doctor for more information.

I had my Sonohysterogram done 3 weeks ago in order to prepare for IVF. I am the worst with pain; I was literally shaking before the procedure. However, everything went fine, and it was only minor discomfort. I took 3 extra strength Tylenol before as recommended by my Endocrinologist. Also, she prescribed me a sedative to take an hour prior. If you are afraid or concerned about this procedure, please be sure to talk with your doctor. If they do not listen to you, find another fertility center. I had a HSG done through an obgyn, and the procedure was never explained to me nor was I prescribed antibiotics. I stopped the HSG midway through due to the pain. Needless to say, I found a very reprievable fertility clinic. The Endocrinologist performed the sono. herself. She took the time to make sure I fully understood the procedure and talked with me about my pain tolerance. Infertility is a stressful journey, so please be sure you find a place that treats the emotional side too.

I had my SHG yesterday, and I took some ibuprofen beforehand, so I only had a bit of cramping and a little spotting.

However, the RE inserted bubbles during the procedure to check my tubes, and I started feeling left shoulder pain during the procedure, which I thought was just because I was straining a little to see the monitor. However, as the night when on and today, I’ve been experience extreme pain in both my shoulders and one side of my neck.

I am so glad I found this site tonight, and realize that I am not crazy, and others experienced this too! I called the number they gave in case I was having problems, and the doctor on call said that the bubbles are probably what is causing this pain. He told me to elevate my hips, and to call again if it doesnt go away by tomorrow, or if I develop a fever or other symptoms. I really hope this pain goes away soon, because it is seriously awful!

I had a sonohystogram 2 weeks ago and while the procedure
was being done I felt a sharp pain in my lower back which
subsided after but on the way home I had to pull over because
I was getting intense pain in my lower back again. Well. it’s
been 2 weeks and I have pain in my lower back and into my
sciatica nerve. My Dr. said I have no infection. By the way,
I never felt any solution come out of me.

after reading, the comments on the site; I immediately canceled my appointment. I decided that the cure was more severe than the problem. I guess I wil deal with heavy period, at least I won’t have and infection. Thanks

I have an SHG scheduled for Friday and I’m freaking out. I had a HSG done 12 years ago while trying to get pregnant and it was a nightmare that I swore I would never do again. I read up on the SHG and it’s basically the same procedure. Granted I think I had a blockage last time because they couldn’t see one side, but I don’t know if it cleared up or not. I bled for 12 days heavy after the HSG so maybe? I was put on Clomid and was pregnant 4 months later so it was worth it I suppose. Maybe if I knew that specifically was why I got pregnant I would be more positive about it, but it could have been the Clomid as well. Anyway, I was reading this website today and the OB/GYN office called conveniently and I explained what I was reading and my past experience. They said they can’t sedate me! What??? But they can prescribe Valium. That helps “some” types of pain from what I read, but I get the feeling not THIS type of pain. Not sure what I should do. I really want to cancel my appointment, but I’ve been spotting for over 2 years now and only get one good week a month. It’s obviously causing issue with my husband. He works nights and always seems to be his first night off I’m “broke”. I want to do the endometrial ablation, but apparently the SHG is a pre-requisite. Someone’s supposed to call me so I guess I’ll make my decision then. Wish me luck.

I felt I needed to add my experience to give balance as well. I’m very sorry for everyone who had such awful experiences.

I had my SHG yesterday, and after reading through these comments I was so scared my legs were literally shaking in the stirrups. I kept waiting for the intense, awful pain, but it never came! I took 800 mg of ibuprofin about an hour before, and that must’ve prevented any pain from occurring. In any event, I know the pain wasn’t as bad as labor, because when I was giving birth there is no way 800 mg of ibuprofin would’ve taken the pain away.

I did feel a lot of pressure, and a sort of “pinched” feeling a few times, and I had a bit of very mild crampiness afterwards. In fact, my left side still feels a little crampy – I’m not sure why I would feel that only on one side. But I don’t have a fever or anything, so I guess it’s probably not an infection. Hopefully it’ll go away on it’s own.

I had an SHG on Monday and am experiencing cramping and bleeding. Nobody told me this would happen or prepared me for the test. The pain seems to be getting worse now, so I started “googling” the procedure to find out what I should do. The procedure was extremely painful for me (and I got little or no compassion from the staff). I felt and feel very violated and it’s made me rethink this direction for infertility… I’m thankful this site was here because I haven’t been able to find anything else on this.

In any case, did any of you have to go in for further treatment for the pain/bleeding or did it just go away after a while?

I am finding it soo weird that after all the searches I tried, I cannot find information to confirm my side-effects of the SHG except here!! Thanks to all for posting your experiences.

Unfortunately I am not one of the lucky ones that walked away unscathed!! I had the sono performed yesterday and have never experienced such pain (other that child birth I suppose) Of course I was told by the technician that she thinks that the SHG is way more pleasant than a PAP test and I may just feel mild cramping.

The test itself did not hurt at all. Just mild discomfort when they inserted the cathiter. I was told to take 2 Advil an hour before which I did and that I may want to sit in the office for 15 minutes afterwards. I got dressed and felt only mild cramps so didn’t feel like I needed to sit so I headed down the hall to get bloodwork done aswell and still was just mildly sore. Turned out I was supposed to fast for the bloodwork and couldn’t get it done (which turned out to be a good thing!!) so I headed out to my car. This was probably about 10-15 min after the test. By the time I got to my car I was sweating, felt like I was gonna throw up or pass out. Both of my arms went numb, my legs felt week and my stomack was in agony with cramps!!! I could barely sit still (obviously couldn’t drive in that state) for the pain. I honestly wanted to cry!!! My chest fluttered and pounded like crazy aswell. Not really sure what that was all about. I think I ended up sitting in my car for about half an hour trying to relax enough to drive home. By the time I got myself home I felt fine. Back to mild cramps and that was it untill a couple hours later when the severe cramps came back to the point that I could hardly walk let alone move at all. When I layed down it was better as long as I didn’t move!! When I took deep breaths the right side of my chest had sharp stabbing pains. Couldn’t cough, sneeze or anything without alot of pain. The pain and cramps extended from my ribcage down to my pelvic bone and side to side. Advil did nothing and by the evening I had a fever aswell.

I ended up having a somewhat good nights sleep and woke up without a fever and the pain is still intense but atleast I can walk today. I still have stabbing pain in my chest at times. I called the lab to see if I should be concerned and they told me to see my doctor if the pain was that bad but that the SHG probably had nothing to do with my pain!!! Give me a break!! I called the doc and he said that what I am experiencing is fairly normal and to keep taking advil and use a heating pad on my stomach.

Guess I will just monitor to see if it gets any worse. After all of that I have not had any spotting!! (Yet) Such a strange thing… the exam took 5-10 minutes and the actually SHG didn’t hurt at all but caused such havoc after it was done!!!

I really hope I never have to get it done ever again BUT having said that, if it works and is able to detect issues in my body…. I probably would get it done again. Next time someone will be driving me there is all!!

I had a sono on May 4th and have had light bleeding ever since until 3 days ago and it’s been flowing like I was about day 3 of my period now. I am not due until Sunday so I’m not sure if it has just come early or if it will still come but it’s a real pain to deal with. I don’t have any pain, the procedure itself was uncomfortable with some cramping but I had none of the horiffic side effects I’ve been reading about. Just lucky I guess. It is not comforting when you call the doctor’s office to only be told they don’t know why this could be happening but if it progesses into a fever then I should go to the hospital.

I had mine done on Friday, it is now Monday and i am cramping really bad. I take 6oo mg. ibprofin and a goody powder. Eases it for about an hour or 2 but then comes back. No bleeding just BAD cramping. I hope to NEVER have this done again. I am using a heating pad which eases it a little but who can lay with a heating pad all day? NOT ME!!! Hope to never do this again!

I had an SHG done last Wed. Was not told to take any pain meds or given antibiotics. Was told it could be a bit uncomfortable and mild cramping could be expected. The procedure itself was a breeze. HOWEVER, on Friday afternoon I started to have cramping that continued to get more severe and by 11:00 I was crying and balled up in pain that felt like a non-stop contraction. Did not have any bleeding or discharge. It was nothing like a bad menstrual cramp. It never let up. The pain was so severe that I almost vommitted. After taking 2 Oxycodone that I was prescribed after my c-section and a muscle relaxer, still no relief. My husband took me to the ER. After an u/s, blood work and urine test I was told that it was inflammation and muscle spasm from the prodedure. Pain didn’t go away until they gave me IV pain meds. Over the next few days pain would come and go and the Motrin 800 they gave me seemed to stop working….I was taking 2 at a time and no relief. Ended up in the ER again on Tues night b/c pain became unbearable again and no meds would help. I was literally taking anything I could get my hands on…..lucky I didn’t OD. Finally got something stronger and it’s now a week later and started to feel better just yesterday. Today was first day w/out meds. Uterus and right side of pelvis (ovary maybe) still hurt when I go to the bathroom. If it’s not gone by Monday I’m going to see my family physician. My ob/gyn has been useless in helping pinpoint the problem. She gave me antibiotics after receiving the report from ER that showed no sign of infection in my labs and a different pain reliever that did nothing. I’m pretty small and delivered an 11 lb baby vaginally so know what pain is and the after affect of the SHG was horrific. I wouldn’t wish that experience on my worst enemy.

Thanks, all, for sharing your experiences. I thought I’d share mine, because it was nice for me to read so many different stories before and after, so here is one more. I had my sonohysterogram a week and a half ago. (My doctor opted for the sono over HSG because I have a lot of allergies..he was concerned I would react to the dye). The procedure itself was not that bad for me. I took one Advil, about an hour before. I had a strong cramp when the catheter went in, and again with the fluid insertion (although by that point I was distracted by watching it flow on the monitor). I thought the ultrasound probe was the most uncomfortable part, but I have a backwards-tilted uterus so that probably didn’t help. I did think the whole procedure was a bit “fumbly” – he had trouble getting the sono probe at the right angle once the catheter was in, and in the end his nurse had to operate the computer keyboard for him because he couldn’t reach over to it (maybe that is typical??). I went by myself, and came home myself, and felt a little crampy/mild pain for the rest of the day, which Advil seemed to help. No pelvic pain or fever, thank goodness (I didn’t have antibiotics). But…1.5 weeks out I’m still having a lot of gas/digestive discomfort. It seems weird for that to be related …since the test was in a different area, not my stomach! but it did start right afterwards; it’s unusual for me; and others here have noted problems with gas. Maybe the structures next to my uterus just got irritated?? It doesn’t seem like any kind of infection… so I’m hoping it will just resolve on its own.

Thank you for all who left their stories. I read them and was comforted and fare warned at the same time. I took a painkiller prior to going in since the cramping I had for the dye test was difficult for me. I had very strong cramping… worse than my regular menses. My DH was there holding my hand and, for me, breathing heavily helps to control the pain. It was done, literally, in 5 minutes (the actual inserting saline solution and sono). Afterwards I had very light cramping for maybe an hour. I had spotting for the next 2 days. Just go in, knowing that this is to help diagnose/prepare for a baby. The pain is brief so hang in there. It will be over before you know it.

I had a sonohystogram today and all I can say is AVOID if at all possible. This is some of the worst pain I’ve ever experienced. I cannot walk, my back is in pain. It hurts to laugh, cough, sneeze, etc. I want so badly to get out this bed but it’s almost impossible. There ouughta be a law for Dr.’s to explain the risk of this procedure to you. They maje it seem like it’s so simple, quick, non-harmful!!!….huh!!!!…..It’s been 6 hrs and I’m STILL in pain. I don’t wish this pain on anyone. If you have a giud experience consider yourself lucky. Others……BEWARE!!!….this procedure is NOT what’s up!!!!!

I read this post as well as the 69 comments with it right before I went to the Dr. for my SSH and it literally prompted an anxiety attack. I freaked out and told my husband he had to meet me at the Dr’s office to drive me home, I cried, I worried about infection and worried about it hurting more because of the Leep procedure I had 10 years ago. I was so stressed that I came about as close to stress-induced vomiting as one can get, without actually vomiting.

And for what…it wasn’t that bad at all – and she even had to re-insert the speculum because she hadn’t pushed the catheter far enough into my cervix on the first try.

Now, it was hardly a pleasant experience but it didn’t require me needing a ride home, didn’t cause any weird shoulder pain, didn’t cause any bleeding, didn’t cause an infection and I wasn’t uncomfortable after it was over.

While I understand that a great many of you did have a horrible time of it, I thought it only fair that I post my experience in the hopes that I can alleviate some of the potentially unnecessary panic for others who stumble upon this page pre-test.

Went in today for the SHG Im 49 and have had light bleeding in between my period for the first time thinking its perimenopausal symptoms. So went in for a pap about 2 weeks ago, I had a UTI. Then she wanted to schd. the SHG and the Dr. could not get my cervix to open to get the cath. in and she tried and tried and tried said most by now would have not allowed her to keep trying that long. So they just did the ultrasound w/o the injection of saline, bled a bit but she had to cauterize it….that stung a bit, not much. I was more shocked from the bleeding afterwards. The speculum was in there quite while, that was uncomfortable. They found a polyp so she was saying she wants to try again after giving me some drug to relax my cervix. I dont think so! Has anyone had this experience? It was not a pleasant experience to say the least. And yes I had to sign a risk paper they presented to me before the procedure.

I had a sono done a few days ago. Any type of procedure down there makes my toes curl. I put it up there with the the retrieval process in IVF procedure. Took couple of advil 1 hr prior to procedure which really didn’t help with the discomfort. My cervix if tilted so the dr. had a hard time with the catheter etc. I’ve been told this so many times. I think the worst part was the catheter. People say the saline is; I beg to differ. Anyway, had some terrible cramps that evening and then somewhat medium bleeding for the next 3 days (bright red). Called the dr. and he said if there is no fever, good sign but to monitor bleeding. Bleeding should not persist for more than 3-4 days but I’m worried about it. For those who had a bad experience, I feel your pain…honestly. Some advise though: if you are thinking of doing the IVF process, make sure the dr gives you some really good drugs for the retrieval process because I remember how horrible it was for me post retrieval and it was similar to the sono. After it’s all said and done, I’m proud to say I’ve been through it and will do it over and over. I will do anything to have another child.

I had one done yesterday and it was HORRIBLE!! I have a tilted uterus and the worst part of it all was getting the cath in. It took them seriously about 10 min just to get it in. I thought I was going to pass out from the pain. Once it was in and they took off the clamps it was much better. I didnt even feel any of the saline go in, or didnt feel when they took it out. I do have a polyp and have to go and prob get a D & C. I spotted a little yesterday and just fell “off” I have minor cramping still and a light discharge today. I took 3 ibprofin before the procedure which I am guessing helped a little. I went to work about 2 hours later. I really didnt have too much of a prob other than the fact that when they were trying to put in the cath they scrathed my cervix so it was really sore that day. I took a bath and today feel somewhat better, but still light cramps. I am SO glad that part is over, for the D & C I will make sure they put me out.

I had the procedure yesterday. It seems that something is missing from the criteria or what they should tell you about the procedure. Are they taking into consideration the state of the uterus/cervix before they begin? What state were you in prior to the procedure? I want to know that it may be safe to say that if you have menorrhagia, fibroids, previous births, a tilted uterus, or even sex before the procedure that there may be more pain than usual. Make sense?

Pre-SSH: I was on my period from 27 October to 27 December with a lot of clotting, bleeding, nausea and pain the entire time. I ended up losing almost 1/3rd of my blood. My pervious physician gave am a myomectomy in the fall of 2008. Fibroids were gone, but the bleeding and pain continued. Luckily my new physician prescribed me Progesterone to slow it down about a week ago. This was day two of none of those symptoms. I finally felt normal. Unfortunately, I was not informed that I should take a pain reliever first. With the amount of pain I was in I do not think it would have made a difference.

As stated before my procedure was scheduled for yesterday. It was the most horrible pain, much worse than the biopsy with catheter insertion. They kept telling me that the pain would not last long and it would only feel like regular cramps. “Regular cramps” would be a relief compared to the type of pain I have endured over the past 2 years. The pain increased immediately after the procedure with a lot of bleeding and a bit of clotting. The radiologist and tech kept saying over and over how it will be over soon and I should not be feeling a lot of pain. Maybe I should not have, but I did. They gave me some Tylenol and I sat there 20 minutes in tears with no sign of comfort no matter if I was sitting upright, bent over fetal, walking around the room, or even on the toilet. When the bleeding continued they sent me to the ER and gave me Toradol. This did not relieve the pain at all either. It just made me tired and nauseous with the same pain intensity. Two and ½ hours after the procedure I started to feel the pain dissipate. It then started to feel like “regular cramps” at hour 3. Finally after 5 hours of pain I only had soreness on the floor of my vagina which continues today.

If you do not mind, can you let us know what state you were in prior to the procedure? This may shed a little light on the issue or non-issue for some. I know two things; I am never having this done again and when my kids get here they had better appreciate what I am going through to get them here.

I had a sono preformed the day before new years because my husband and I were not getting pregnant. I was very nervous for the test. The technician was really nice, but had three attempts using different catheters. None of them worked. As a result I had to take Miesel prostol 12 hours before as well as an hour before the procedure to loosen the cervix. During the night I woke up in extreme pain, shivering and very nauseous. I felt much better in the morning. When I went in for the procedure for the second time, they were finally able to insert the catheter. However, the tube kept popping out! After three tries they were only able to see one of the fallopian tubes.
The procedure was a bit uncomfortable, but I felt completely fine afterwards. Then, the next morning I woke up very soar and swollen. I even found it difficult to have a bowel movement because of the swelling.

Man is it tough to be women! If you have to have this procedure good luck!

OMG, This SO PAINFUL I BLACKED OUT and freaked out my doctor. It went into this thinking it would be uncomfortable, so I dealt with catheter despite the pain, but when she started inserting the tube for the saline, my entire body started to tingle, I broke out into sweat and passed out. I woke up with her freaking out that I blacked out…I was completely disoriented for 5 minutes and then the cramps started…..WOW….made me want to vomit. She never finished inserting the saline bc I passed out.

I laid on the table for several more minutes until I stopped sweating. She gave me prescription strength meds to help with the pain.

I got dressed and walked up to the front…just when I was paying my CoPay, I started to get hot flashes again and felt nausea. I started to feel woozy and got extreme cramps again. She walked me back to the room and I was in fetal position with cramps. They came in waves….I had to poop too, so I went to the toilet :-), just sitting on the toilet helped the cramps feel better. The Doctor said it was because my rectum was relaxed which helped the cramps.

About 20 minutes later I left feeling little to no cramping, but absolutely exhausted.

I consider myself a tough strong woman who has withstood other pain before, but THIS was something else. I have NEVER EVER fainted or blacked out from pain. I have to get specialized sonogram now so that the doctor knows whether I have Polyps or Fibroids before surgery.

I had a SHG done today and it was not that bad. I was given some antibiotic and was asked to take them in the morning of the day of the procedure. Along with this I took 3 ibuprofen and 2 motrin one hour before the procedure. I had mild cramping’s but rest was a breeze. Just two months ago I had a myomectomy, so I was a bit worried about this procedure, but it was much better than the HSG (the procedure was ok, but the tenaculum hurt).
Even for the HSG, I had taken the same medications and that helped me.
So, good luck to all!

just had a saline hysterogram on Monday it is now Fri and I am just starting to feel better. procedure was not to bad,went home crampy. Cramps continued to worsen with pain and intensity. I felt pain in my pelvic area, uterus area, vaginal area and bladder area it would get worse and better all day long. Worse than having childbirth ended up in er with a diagnosis of endomitritis whatever ….. now on antibiotics and still suffering…do not ever get one of these tests…it is not worth the risk!

I had a SHG this morning at 8am and took 1 extra strength advil about 1 hour prior. I don’t think the advil helped much…the cramping as the saline was injected was pretty painful (I started sweating a bit). The pain was mostly relieved when the proceedure was over – approx 5 min.
Most of the fluid came out on the table and then I stayed there to relax for at least 5-10 min. Still a bit of cramping but not too bad which lasted for the rest of the day (I still have slight discomfort now but it feels more like a bit of gas than anything).
I had to wear a pad for the rest of the day mostly for the fluid and a bit of spotting. I also had some slight pain in my right shoulder on and off during the day but it started getting worse around 8pm. It almost feels like I pulled a muscel but it comes and goes…nothing to severe.
Don’t be scared just take some pain killers before and after and expect some pain throughout the day. My doctor warned me about all of this.
Good Luck!

I just came back from having a sonohysterogram and the doctor couldn’t access my cervix because it is pointed upward. So I left without the proceduce being done. So disappointed…wonder what the next step will be.

Hello, today is sunday and I had my sono on friday… the pain has finally stopped. I was very nervous about the procedure. I took 4 Tylenol’s before hand and I am sure they helped a lil. I was alos told that it will not hurt as bad as an hsg. That was true… during the hsg I was crying. This type I was so freaked out about the hsg procedure, it was making me nervous for the sonohystogram. I told the doc about my horrible experience. He said it would not be bad at all. Well, it was not worse than my hsg, but it did hurt. But, the whole time the doctor was doing the procedure, he was this will help you have a baby… lol… it will help clear your tubes.I was huffing and puffing thinking in my head “this is for my future child”… the nurse felt bad for me. she was looking at me while she was injecting the saline and the doctor kept telling her to keep injecting…. but afterwards I was so relieved! He told me to ask the nurse for a pad and I am glad that I did because I had some mild bleeding. But I have had spotting and little cramps for two days now. When I lay on my stomach it hurts, it is less severe now. I was also given antibiotics. and during the procedure I could feel the water go though my fallopian tubes.

Hi all,
Okay I now KNOW I’m not crazy. About 7 years ago I had an hag knowing I’d have blocked tubes. ( raped at 18 got PID totally blocked my tubes… Now 36) I had not a problem with my hsg at all. I had some dye thru my tubes not much. Very little pain to speak of w/ this test.

Now Monday two weeks ago I had a SHG. We are preparing for IVF. Need all testing done. I knew my tubes were blocked but had my test done so long ago they were not even looking at tubes but at my uterus to ensure for good implantation. My fertility doc didn’t do my test one of the other clinic doctors did. She was in and out doing them I saw her come and go. I was pre-medicated w/ naproxen ( aleve) and an antibiotic. ( same as dental antibiotic). I was TOTALLY RELAXED PRE TEST DOING YOGA BREATHING. I was sp relaxed almost asleep. Then it began…… The speculum was no prob , then tube in past cervix a little sore then inta vaginal US wand. The doc then filled me with saline and I was a 10/10 in pain. She forced saline thru my tubes. My regular fert. doctor didn’t want anything in there stirred up!! She was very pushy with lots of saline. I about squeezed my husbands had off and I can tolerate pain!!!!! I then left cramping quite badly for hours which turned into days….. As well as days of leaking a bloody fluid and of course the saline on day one.

The pain started again w/ severe cramping one night and didn’t stop, this was around 5 days later. The doctor who did the test said u r going to need more antibiotics after all we have stirred up in there….. But gave me NOTHING AT ALL. I was furious!!!! No anti. After telling me I need them then of course on a Friday got the on call doctor to give me antibiotics. ( oh I had a low grade fever as well… Around 37.5, I’m normally 36 or lower). So over w/e took abx. And started to feel a LITTLE. But not fully better called on the next Sunday to leave a msg and got called into office on Monday. Got two more antibiotics. It’s now almost been 3 weeks on Tuesday since the test. I am almost done my 3 different antibiotics(abx) and am still crampy and have low grade fever. So instead of my booked next Friday appointment I will be going in on Monday AGAIN…. likely to get an ultrasound and UV big gun abx!!!! This painful as hell test has turned into a three week nightmare!!!!!

Now I know this is defiantly NOT THE NORM!!!!
I am not having a normal reaction. However if you know u have blocked tubes and have any scarring in them bacteria live in there quite happily undisturbed with no consequence to your health. If you stir things up with saline you move these little colonies that can multiply very quickly!!! So DO NOT WAIT. you can become very very sick in a short period of time. Now my reg. fert. doc told me it takes 10 days for an abcess to grow. Great news that is when u are in pain and feel exhausted and fed up!!!

Long story short. NOBODY IS EVER DOING THIS TO ME AGAIN.
This is NOT to scare people from this test. It is uncomfortable to say the least but be aware of side effects and know your body. If it feels different it likely is….. Get help immediately!!
Thanks for reading my horror story!!

I had this procedure done a week ago. After reading all the horror stories, I was so scared. I took the Advil and antibiotics as directed before the procedure. I was quite surprised that the ultrasound was the most uncomfortable part for me. I have had several TV us before, I just think this tech was too rough. The part I was most scared of the catheter insertion was very easy, I didnt really feel anything. I did have minor cramping after the saline was inserted but it really was not as bad as I expected. The worst part for me was getting a yeast infection 4 days later.

I just had this done today. The first part of the u/s with the sonographer was fairly easy. The u/s probe went in smoothly and although I had some pressure with certain positions it wasn’t painful. But then the radiologist came in and it was all downhill.

The radiologist didn’t explain most of what he was doing… he started with putting some soapy solution all over my vulva. Then he inserted the speculum (let me just add here that I do NOT usually have a problem with speculums) and there was SO MUCH pain. He was not gentle at all and seemed to be forcing it – he even asked the sonographer if she had a hard time finding my CERVIX?! She hadn’t. The insertion of the catheter definitely caused strong crampy sensations (very uncomfortable) but it was when he administered the saline (each time – since it was done several times) that it was incredibly painful. He also had his fingers on my vulva for a good portion of the time. Why is that???? Was he holding the catheter in place??? It was making me super uncomfortable. I just wanted it to be over with. I would say that second portion of the u/s took about 15-20 minutes.

After it was over I sat up and did leak some fluid. Upon standing though I gushed what seemed like quite a bit of blood! It was all down my legs (wish I had taken off my socks) and was incredibly crampy. I am still (several hours later) incredibly crampy. I do NOT plan on going through anything like this ever again. Oh, and I did take 800mg of Motrin an hour prior to the procedure. I don’t understand why these doctors prescribe something that basically does nothing – you can bet if men had to go through this they would get something a little heavier duty. I say ask for STRONGER medicine before going through this.

I had my SHG yesterday and had read all the comments here before and thought I would add my own.

Before the test I was very nervous. Going into the room, the fact that the ultrasound technician was very nice and friendly helped ease my nerves somewhat. She did the internal ultrasound which was fine and said she would call the doctor into the room to do the saline infusion.

There was good and there was bad. I had no problem with the speculum or the betadine solution used to clean the cervix.

The catheter – this was the problem. I’ve never had anything inserted into my cervix and have never had children. The doctor had an absolutely horrible time inserting the catheter and this was incredibly painful. He tried and tried and pushed and PUSHED and couldn’t get it through. This part was absolute agony. I did the best I could and the ultrasound tech took my hand and squeezed and patted it as she realized how horrible this was. He tried 4 different catheters and FINALLY on the 4th one it went in. He said he thought he wasn’t going to be able to get it through.

He then advised he would be adding the saline through the catheter and I would likely feel some cramping and fullness. I felt nothing. No pain and nothing uncomfortable. The test was quick once the catheter went in and if it hadn’t been for the problem with the catheter, there would have been little to no pain.

In any event, there was A LOT of blood due to the fact that he kept poking my cervix extremely hard multiple times to get the catheter through. The bleeding ended after about 6 hours, but I had no pain at all after the procedure. If it wasn’t for the darn catheter I would have said the test was virtually painless.

I do have a fear of pain generally, so I took the maximum daily dose of Advil prior to my appointment (more than recommended). I took 200 mg 3 hours before, another 200 mg 2 hours before and 800 mg an hour before.

In the end I would do it again as the test identified a submucosal fibroid that the ultrasounds hadn’t picked up that has likely been the cause of my infertility. Now I can get that removed.

I had SHG on Monday and I thought it would be uncomfortable and perhaps a bit painful, so nothing prepared me for the total agony I was in. I had the test to see if my tubes were clear as part of a fertility check up.
Inserting the tube into my uterus was difficult because my cirvix is very tight apprently and my uterus did a 90 degree turn to escape from the cathater so they had to clamp my uterus to keep it from moving. That was quite painful, but I managed not to cry out, after that I had a little rest then she put in some saline and some air to check the tubes and it was so painful I can honestly say it was the first time in my life I have experienced anything quite like it.
I was given some painkillers directly after but I was totally unable to stand or even consider leaving the table for about 15 to 20 minutes, my body was tingling, I was sweating, I couldn’t move my arms or legs it was so unlike anything I have experienced before.
I wasn’t given any painkillers or advised to take any before the procedure, but believe me if I ever have to go through that again I will be dosing up.
I was told that I was particularly sensitive and certainly in the minority of women who find that particularly procedure painful. My recommendation would be do take the rest of the day off and make sure you dose up on painkillers before hand.

I thought I would also add my experience with a sonohysterogram which I had today. My clinic discussed the procedure days prior and said that I may have minor discomfort, I would have to take antibiotics (twice a day) 2 days before and 3 days after the procedure to ward off any infections. I was also instructed to take 2 Advils an hour before. After visiting this site and reading all of the comments I was absolutely terrified about this procedure. I was a nervous wreck for the last few days, so much so that I knew I needed my husband there, so he took the day off work to come with me. So I went in today completely scared!

My clinic gives you 2 appointments for all sonohysterograms. My 1st appointment was scheduled for 11:30 this morning and I had to do a full bladder ultrasound where they put the gel on my abdomen and did the ultrasound; then I had to go relieve my bladder and come back in for a vaginal ultrasound (I’m used to these ultrasounds since I’m doing IVF). I asked the technician if the actual sonohysterogram would be painful and she said it shouldn’t this is why the clinic does these 2 ultrasounds before the actual procedure to make sure that you don’t have any fibroids, endometrosis etc that may cause a problem. Plus she said the Doctor doing the procedure (my Doc was away) was excellent. So I thought ok, I was starting to feel a bit better but was still nervous. After the vaginal ultrasound I was then told to go have lunch come back to to the clinic for 1:15 and to then take the 2 Advils around 12:15. So that’s what I did. Came back for the actual sonohysterogram, and once again my nerves started to take over. My husband kept trying to reassure me and that I should try to relax.

In I go for the procedure my husband comes with me. As I sat on the table waiting in the room with the ultrasound tech, her supervisor and my husband, my left leg started to shake uncontrollably because I was so scared. In comes the Doc she explains what’s going to happen I ask whether it would be painful and she said I will most likely feel some minor discomfort when she inserts the catheter and injects the saline but it shouldn’t be too bad since she didn’t have to check my tubes. I lay back and the Doc explains everything that she’s doing. I sat there waiting for the excuriating pain and…NOTHING! No pain, no cramping I couldn’t believe it and in 5 minutes it was done! I was in shock because I was expecting it to be awful based on what I read here. I didn’t even have any spotting. I felt fine and foolish that I allowed myself to get all worked up based on what I read on the Internet. I’m not saying that the women who had a bad experience with the procedure are not telling the truth I believe what they say and I’m sure it was terrible for them. But before anyone thinks of cancelling their appointment because of the negative experiences they’ve read here I would suggest think again. It’s true everyone is different, and I know just because I had a great experience doesn’t guarantee other women will, but you should know your body and your pain threshold. If you’re having this procedure done in hopes of getting an answer to infertility, if it was extremely painful for the 5 minutes wouldn’t it be it worth it? Also, if you can’t handle this pain how are you going to handle labor? I know you can get an epidural but you only get that once you’re in the hospital…labor usually begins when you’re at home.

I hope this post can be of some comfort to another woman who is scheduled for a SHG. Try not to be too scared, take your hubby or a friend with you. Take pain meds before hand (I took 2 extra strength Advils). Lay back and know you are strong and will get through it.

Finally I found people that suffered the same pain than me… I did the HSG on August 9th, after taking ibuprofren 600 and 2 azimotricin 500 mg ( antibiothics)
It was the worst pain of my life ( i havent had kids yet) 5 days after the HSG I started to bleed heavy, and I was in the 16th day of my cycle. Medical explanation ” something happened that makes the endometrial polyps we found in HSG bleed”. Anyway I have my appointment at the end of the month to remove the 2 polyps.

I had a sonohysterogram today. I had freaked myself out by reading these posts, so at the last minute, I had a friend drive me there just in case I couldn’t drive home. All my fears were for naught. Yes, the procedure was uncomfortable. I would say more painful, for me, than the HSG, but not much. I took 4 Advil beforehand, and luckily, I had a wonderful nurse whose hand I gripped through the entire procedure. The poor lady is probably hurting tonight. As soon as everything was removed, I was fine. I hopped up and went shopping with my friend for hours. I’ve had no side effects thus far. By the way, they did find a polyp, so I’m glad I had this done.

I must say, I am on my 2nd trial of ivf and don’t mind anything pertaining to the procedure rather than the 1st failure and the sonohystogram. I can endure bloodwork and surgery but this is quite painful. It’s been 4 days and I’m still spotting….gross. Heads up to 1st timers……expect pain. I tell it like it is

I read the comments about SHGs this morning before I was scheduled to have one (first time) this afternoon. Let’s just say, I was a bit worked up about the whole thing.

Turns out there was nothing to be worried about. I had no discomfort. I took 3 ibuprofin one hour before I went. I didn’t think it was any worse than a pap smear except a little messier with the saline leaking out afterwards.

I found out that I would need one of these procedures about a month ago. After reading all of these horror stories, I was TERRIFIED! I got so scared that I wanted to cancel the appointment. I have read that it is easier for people who had kids, and that made me worry since I have never given birth before. I am the biggest wimp EVER. I have a very low tolerance to pains so I was expecting for this procedure to be very painful, but it was WAY easier than I expected. I got myself all worked out for NOTHING! It was a piece of cake. The worst part of it was the anticipation. I did have a weird pressure cramp in my uterus, but it only lasted for 2 seconds. After the procedure was done, I felt period like type cramps for 15 minutes but then I was fine. They used an iodine to clean me, so i did have some red iodine leak out after words, but hardly anything.

For all of you that are afraid of this test, DON’T BE! It was very easy.

Hi ladies,
So I had a saline sonogram on Wednesday and it was clear and not painful at all but I was never given antibiotics to take before or after te procedure. In any event, the next morning after the test at 5am I woke up with horrible abdominal cramps. I called my RE because I was concerned this could be an infection. He said that because not even 24 hours had passed since the test, it couldn’t be an infection since they don’t develop that fast. According to him it takes 36-48 hours for an infection to develop. The rest of the day was horrible–really bad stomach cramps all over my abdomen (not just the ovary area). The next day I woke up still feeling miserable and ran a temp of 100.8 and started having painful cramps all over again. I went to the ER and was diagnosed with a UTI and stomach virus. I am currently on antibiotic (Cipro) and still feel a little sick–but the pelvic pain is now gone. However, it burns when I urinate. So I’m wondering–I’m really scared that I may have an infection from the test too–I’m been experiencing bright yellow CM in addition to the burning during urination. I’m not sure if Cipro could kill an infection from the test and don’t want to seem like a nag to my RE.. what would you do? Should I call my RE and get checked out. I’m not sure what the symptoms are for an infection after a sono–do any of you know?

For the majority these tests go on without complications. For the minority, who tell their experiences here, the complications are not worth the test.
Do your research! It’s your body. We are stuck in a male-dominated profession who will never understand the pain of cramping, childbirth or being injected with saline.

This helped me make my choice and it is a personal one. In my case the test is not worth the risk, even if the risk is very low.

I had this procedure 1 week ago, ( due to extremely heavy periods) I was extremely nervous after talking to some of my friends who had it done and also reading the internet. I took 600 mgs of advil 1 hour before and brought my husband as a friend had advised me. I the ultrasound portion was fine no problems. When the Dr came in I explained that I was nervous after reading the internet and she said I would be fine. She guided me through the entire procedure which included a biopsy. It was painless. Thank God. Some minor cramping when she had to hold the cervix opened ( my cervix was tilted but still not an issue) I did some deep breathing to relax myself and it was over in 5 min or less. I did bleed after and spotted for 2 days and then I was totally fine. I took advil after the procedure and had no issues I even went to an office Christmas party. I don’t have a high pain tolerance and it was not a problem. To anyone who is nervous, just let your Dr know and they will probably be a little more gentle and understanding.
Hope this helps!

Googling / reading a lot of the comments in this section had me terrified but I didn’t have any reactions, I didn’t drip saline after, I barely had cramps, and the whole procedure took less than 5 minutes.

Oh, I am so glad for all of you who have had this and have not had pain. Unfortunately, that was not the case for me. This was the most intense pain I have ever experienced. I was bawling and screaming throughout. I ended up vomiting, twice, from the pain. It was an absolutely traumatizing procedure. And to make matters worse, it has caused additional problems with my already irregular period, severe pain back which limits any movement and even more bleeding than before it.

I just returned from mine. I’m so glad I didn’t read this site before because I would have absolutely refused to go through with it! Though my technician and doctor were great in the room, neither had a clear understanding of how ‘uncomfortable’ it was. Having the catheter inserted was painful and I definitely wasn’t able to return to work after. The cramping, which I was told nothing about, is horrid and has left me nauseous.

I feel that your experience with the test depends on individual pain tolerance and the attitude of those attending. So far I’ve only suffered cramping and the urge to smack my husband for being male as he isn’t experiencing any painful testing.

Thank you to all the ladies who shared their stories as you’ve made me feel that I’m not alone in my discomfort and have worked magic against the horrid brochure I got explaining that only a few women feel mild discomfort.

Thanks, ladies! This is the second site I found after my (new) gyn refused to let me see the ultrasound report! Sent her pa in to tell me I need another (I’ve had 2) endometrium biospy and this systo thing. They’ve had my records for 3 mo.-I’ve been getting “you have to come in for this before—and wait for that for—” runaround. The refusal to see my records while I was sitting there so I could ask questions as she went along caused a mild explosion! That and it’s always, “oh well, we can discuss this and that’s another visit”. My guess is-they’ve had my records 3 mo. They want these repeat tests based on my records from last year’s results (not the ultrasound I just had…or the pap that was normal…)—so now it’s “Oh poop-we screwed up and need to cover our backside” time. At 53–soon to be 54-I say its hysterectomy time. Only good news was-they medicate their patients well-my first 2 endo biopsies were with NOTHING—NEVER NEVER AGAIN! At least they were willing to give me high powered drugs…but now no need. Looking into robotic hysterectomy. Thoughts and prayers to all suffering through all this! Blessings, Sharon

I had my sono today and it was the worst medical experience of my life. First let me explain that I have vaginismus. I’ve been working on it so I am able to penetrate with smaller items. The TV ultrasound I had the day before was so easy and so I was not nervous about the soon at all. Unfortunately I cant say the same for today’s procedure. I only took 1 Advil before as instructed. I would hate to know what this would’ve felt like without the Advil. It’s hard to explain the pain except to say that it was extremely bad cramping like a period. The doc decided it was a good idea to do a pap at the same time…I’ve never had a pap done before! Afterwards I had to take another IB and could not leave the office. I was crying and sweating during and after the procedure. I hope to never have to do this again! Take more than 1 Ibuprofen and take someone with you to drive home. You may be lucky to not feel anything but better safe than sorry! Good luck!

So this is the only website I found with experiences from this. They made me feel somewhat better but still I am not sure if what I’m experiencing is even normal :/. I had some mild cramping during and after on Tuesday, felt pretty sore the day after no spotting or anything. Great! Not so great. Woke up Thursday to reddish/brownish spotting. Spotting lasted and pain lasted until Today. Which is exactly a week after. The spotting turned into light bleeding yesterday and continued today, it has slowed down a bit again for now. The pain, thankfully is gone today. If anyone could give me some insight please do. I see my RE first thing in the morning to have an ultrasound so I’m not super worried. Like I said insight if anyone has any! I will NEVER do this test again

I got my first SHG today and it was only a little uncomfortable. I had less than a minute of cramping when they inserted the catheter and again when they injected the saline. Mildly uncomfortable, but totally bearable!

I’m sorry to hear so many women have had such negative experiences, but I can attest to the fact that it is not bad for all. I read this blog before going in and did take 600 mg of Advil. I was nervous going in and pleasantly surprised at how quickly it was over.

My experience wasn’t so bad. I have severe anxiety issues around medical procedures, so the doctor prescribed some Valium for me. I took two Aleve 12 hours before the procedure and 600 mg ibuprofen an hour before. I was crying from anxiety before the doctor even entered the room, but she was calm and reassuring.

The procedure itself made me crampy and was mildly painful. It was definitely pain, not just discomfort, (but I have an adenomyoma and one polyp). AFterwards, I had a tiny bit of spotting which was gone by the next morning. I had to sleep of the Valium, so I couldn’t really do anything the rest of the day.

Results: Open tubes, one polyp. Doctor wouldn’t say anything else so I guess she needs time to scrutinize the film.

I had my hysterosonogram done this week and wanted to share my experience. I read this page the day before the procedure and almost cancelled it because I was so scared from all the above comments. Thankfully mine was not bad at all. I took 800 mg ibuprofen before the procedure and started doxycycline the night before (as instructed by my RE). Thankfully she was very gentle during the procedure. I definitely had discomfort/mild pain during the procedure but it was very tolerable. I had some mild cramping when she injected the saline (similar to my menstrual cramps). She didn’t inject that much saline, just enough to distend the uterus slightly. I think the distention is what causes the pain so maybe other doctors put in more saline resulting in more cramping? Anyways, once it was over most of the saline came out. I had some mild intermittent cramping the rest of the day but it was much less than my usual menstrual cramps. I was completely fine the next day. I’m sorry for everyone who had bad experiences with this procedure. If you are reading this before your procedure, just know that not everyone has a bad experience and hopefully you will do fine!

I has a saline sonogram last Monday. I was so scared after reading all the pain filled stories. Mine did not hurt one bit. I did feel tired a few hours later, and a little dizzy. Then again I had fasted for blood tests so who knows if my off feelings were sonogram related. I took 400 mg Advil but I doubt I even needed that.

Today was my sonohysterogram, a.k.a. the saline ultrasound. I have to say that I was absolutely terrified, and I want to dispel the notion that this is a terrible thing. Last fall, I had to go to the ER due to abnormally heavy bleeding. Of course, ultrasounds were part of the routine tests that were run, and the transvaginal was quite uncomfortable, at times rather painful. A few weeks ago I had a uterine biopsy, and I thought I was going to jump out of my skin from the pain. So, naturally, I set out to find out as much about this procedure as possible, and read every horror story on the web. I was so certain that this was going to be the most miserable experience of my life that I went out of my way to find a sitter for my toddler (he is technically my future step-son), and made my boyfriend come with me to hold my hand.

Upon my arrival, the nurse requested a urine sample for a pregnancy test. Of course, I had just visited the ladies room, so about a half hour and 7 cups of water later, I was able to squeeze out enough to move on. I was shown to a room with some pretty intimidating looking equipment (all of which I recognized from my hospital visit), a table with stirrups, and a lovely paper cover for my lap. After situating myself as if for a pap test, the tech began.

The first portion of the test was the longest. It was a standard trans-vaginal ultrasound, and, unlike the last one, it did not hurt at all. The tech took 3D measurements of my uterus and both ovaries, and took the time to explain everything she saw (I could see on an overhead monitor). My ovaries have follicles which she said is good and proves I am “an egg-producer”. She did note the my uterus is tilted, and my left ovary is slightly set back, but nothing abnormal. When she finally got a good look at my uterus, her comment was, “Well, gosh darn! That’s a nice looking uterus!” I guess that is a compliment… This part was less than 10 minutes.

When it was time for the saline infusion, the doctor came in. Though his bedside manner was a bit lacking, he did explain what he was going to do. First, he inserted a speculum (larger than for a normal pap test) and then swabbed my cervix with betadine. He ran a tiny catheter (about the size of a piece of spaghetti) through my cervix. It didn’t hurt, but I could feel it. When he inflated the bubble to keep it intact, I felt a sharp pinch that caused a gasp, and the first squeezing of my boyfriend’s hand.

The doctor removed the speculum, and the tech reinserted the TV probe. No biggie. They got everything positioned, and then he shot in a large syringe full of saline. I’m not going to lie, it was surprising and rather painful. After a minute or two of probing, another syringe of saline was injected. That one caused a whimper. The best way to describe it would be to equate it to a full bladder. Imagine the most dire time you needed a restroom, and multiply that by two. Only, your bladder is meant to expand quickly, your uterus is not, and that feeling was very out-of-place. Another minute or two of probing, and it was over. I couldn’t get up right away; everything felt a little funny. After a few minutes I was fine, I got dressed, and we left. Yes, I am “leaking” and cramping. But overall, it was a far better experience than I was expecting.

I am so glad I did this test. Now I can stop worrying about cysts, fibroids, polyps, and especially tumors.

I don’t understand, most women say they experience pain then why the hell is this not done under anesthesia. There’s medication for painless delivery but not for diagnostic pain???? Are we all just suffering in silence? If women are experiencing seizures, sweating and blacking out, even if it is rare (doesn’t seem rare here) why are doctors not advising anesthesia? Under normal circumstances, a person experience pain, nausea and seizures would make it to ER…but I guess that doesn’t apply to women who’re trying to become mothers or those trying to get rid of polyps…sob sob….No doc or midwife on this forum to offer some suggestions?

This was *such* a quick and easy procedure; maybe three minutes in duration and “discomfort” comparable to a pap test… that is, very minimal. Don’t stress yourself beforehand like I did– the anticipatory anxiety was BY FAR the worst part!

I had this procedure on May 21st while it was a bit uncomfortable, I did have cramps and spotting after procedure. I was able to tolerate the test. My question to all of you. I spotted from Monday the day of test till thursday. Now last night I started spotting again! I’m not due for my period until June 5th. I don’t have pain , no fever. I’m thinking I should call my dr tomorrow to ask…

Hi Guys..i had my sono 5/29/2012 it wasnt so bad. i was so nervous and thought the worse. the most annoying part was the saline going in there becuz i felt immediate cramping. afterwards i went to work, had a lil crampin in lower back and stomach and yesterday was lil cramping but today all is well. on a good note everything went AWESOME and my partner and I start our IVF cycle 7/20/2012….OMMMGGGGGGGG so nervous and excited. Best wishes to you all

Just got back from my appt. I was sooo nervous reading all these posts about bad experiences. It was not bad at all. Of course during the procedure they are probing and adding pressure. Mainly just really uncomfortable but my dr kept asking the entire procedure if I was ok (very considerate). Afterward I had some cramping and was sitting up but it all subsided pretty quick. Anway, wanted to tell my experience because it was not that bad! Good luck ladies!

I am an RN and have been going through infertility treatments for 3 years. 3 clomid cycles, 5 Injection/IUI cycles, 3 chemicals, 2 miscarriages, countless transvaginal ultrasounds, moderate/severe case of OHSS, and a laproscopy and D/C later, we are moving on to IVF. I thought I had done all the tests which are possible but I was just told that I need an SHG. My HSG a few years back was the most painful thing I have experienced to date. I am expecting this to be as bad or worse because it’s a pretty similar procedure. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that no pain medicine is given before this or the HSG. Why must we suffer? They can’t even prescribe us a few hydrocodone (Vicodin)? Luckily I have some pain pills saved from my surgery for reasons like this. I will update with my experience next week. Wish me luck…

Hi there,
I read all of your review and i would like to share my experience since i had sono done twice.
Fist time i didnt take any pain killers i forgot and the procedure wasnt so painful as much as afterwards.after the procedure i had major cramps that made me sick to my stomach i was throwing up at the parking lot sweating like crazy feeling dizzy etc
They found polyp on my uterus that i was suppose to remove but somehow i stayed pregnant right before my surgery so i had to cancel my surgery and had to wait couple of months for my period to regulate then my doc suggested another sono to see if the polyp is still there cause i wanted it removed. When i went for my secod sono they tried and couldnt do it since my cervix was very closed so i was prescribed misoprostol or something like that , its a drug to help me dilate and open up. So the night before procedure i had to insert vaginally misoprostol and next morning have a treatment. I took tylenol 3 night before since the drug i was given would cause me major cramps so i really didnt feel any pain and then morning of i had another tylenol 3 so i didnt feel any pain during or after the treatment but i was spotting a little bit right after and today its a second day and im kind of bleeding more then spotting..i didnt have that first time i had sono so im wondering could it be cause of misoprostol or what?? I cant call my doc since its weekend but if i dont stop bleeding i will call on monday..did anyone had simular situation ? This time they didnt find anything no polyps everything was clean and nice no problems but why am i bleeding i just finished my period week ago i never had any bleedings between cycles so this kind of worries me a little bit..
Wish u best of luck with your sono make sure u take pain killer half hour before procedure..since tylenol 3 starts working within 20-30 min i took it half hour before treatment and really didnt feel anything i felt that something was going on but no severe pain..
Good luck :))

Hi All!!! I’m so excited that I found this site bc I’ve been driving myself crazy. I had this procedure done 8/8/12 (my partener and I are trying for baby #2). The procedure itself was painful, mostly bc of the large speculum that was used. I had mild cramping but my monthly periods are much worst. I bled the 1st 3 days like I do during my periods and then it turned to light spotting. I usually get my periods every 23 to 26 days, today is day 27 and still nothing. I’m waiting on my period bc thats when we’ll start the next round of test and find out if we can inseminate this month but I think I scared my period away and this spotting is driving me insane. I called the clinic this morning to see if they have any concern about me spotting. Has any one experienced the same problems?

I have been doing HSG’s with many doctors and nurses for years. Some doctors don’t have the nack and it’s like a blood bath and would not let them near me with a ten foot pole. I was always amazed by our female doctors and nurses that did them with such ease and patience that it seemed to be no problem for the patient. These procedures are generally easy if you are prepped with medication before the test and done by a someone with alot of experience. I would say nine out of ten patients in my offices have very little cramping or bleeding.

I read through these posts HOURS before my sonohysterogram and worked myself up into such a panic that I wanted to cancel the appointment. I had a uterine biopsy done a few weeks ago and was not prepared for how badly it would hurt or how difficult it would be in the days following (cramps/bleeding). Obviously, some of the experiences on this thread are hard to stomach. I just finished the procedure and want to tell you that despite the sheer terror that I had going in, it was uncomfortable but not nearly as bad as I had imagined it to be. The entire event lasted less than 5 minutes. I took 3- 250mg ibuprofen before going in, which I highly recommend (especially if you have a low pain threshold). They put me in stirrups, opened me up with a speculum (just like a pap), swabbed the cervix with betadine and inserted a catheter tube, which is the size of a strand of spaghetti. There was a little sharp stabbing feeling and then they removed the speculum, which alleviated a bit of the discomfort. The insertion of the saline was by far the worst of it…I started cramping and my lower back was throbbing, but this lasted 20 seconds TOPS. They pulled the catheter out and had me sit up and it was immediate relief when the fluid came out. I have a pad on, but no leaking…just a little pink spotting. No cramps. No nausea. And certainly no blacking out (I was prepared for all of this in my mind). Everyone is different and no experiences are alike (just like pregnancy) but I wanted to offer encouragement for those of you that must have this procedure done (for pregnancy or for endometrial issues). Breath through it, picture something awesome in your mind, and it will be over before you know it! Good luck : )

I had this done two days ago…they had to insert twice because the first time they said the balloon didnt work. anyway, upon leaving i had terrible cramping into my legs even worse than normal period cramping…i spotted through the day and that evening i started to bleed and feel like im having a full blown period! the procedure itself was uncomfortable but not quite painful, it was the cramping aterwards that was awful and the bleeding that i hope stops or at least lessens soon

I’m having my sono in a few hours and i have read these blogs of everyone twice! And I,m totally terrified now as i have low pain threshold! I will be dose up 2 extra strength tylenon and I got prescribed an Activa to reduce anxiety! I,m really scared of the pain during the procedure like most of you girls had that said it was untolerable!

so i just came back from appt and it,s been 6 hours from that. I tell you my experience was that it looks like a PAP test but maybe more deep , but i didnt feel ANYTHING! absolutely painless!! i dont feel when she puts the cath and i dont feel when the saline was injected.she said my tubes are open and is done. It takes less than 5 mins at most. I,m like finished???she said i could experience discomfort and menses cramping, but i dont have anything cramping. just a little spotting of 2 mins thats it. I dont even have fever and i go out like usual. But before appt, I have took tylenon and doc prescribed me Activa to calm me down. now i can finally sleep in peace! wish you all luck like me!

I just had one this morning. Not a big deal at all. I’m a little crampy but not bad. They found polyps so I’m glad to know what’s going on. With the results of this test, maybe I will just get a D&C instead of a hysterectomy.
I thought getting an IUD was very painful but this sonohysterogram was not. I drove myself and didn’t have any trouble at all.

I’ve never given birth but had a SHG done to check for a septum in my uterus. I had one done on Tuesday and it was the most painful experience of my life. My doctor could only get 2cc of the saline in before he stopped due to my extreme pain. They typically want to get 10-20cc. I did not take IBU before because I did the HSG a few years ago and survied that just fine (and they said this was going to be easier).

I went back today and they tried again, this time I took 800mg of IBU. Sadly, the same result. This time it hurt so bad I could not hold back my tears. It’s so frustrating when your body is working against you.

I’m asked my doctor if he could try one more time, but do it at the hospital and have me be put under with mac anesthesia. After looking into it (because this is an odd request), he was able to get this scheduled. He is scheduling me for a possible septum removal surgery immediately following if he does find the septum he believes is there. I feel this is my best bet to survive the procedure and get the results we need to move forward in our IF journey.

He did say my response was extremely rare and most people DO tolerate this procedure quite well. I would say don’t be alarmed, yet be prepared for pain and know your options if it gets too much to handle.

hi…my periods got heavier & really painful after i delivered my second baby. i had an ultrasound which revealed that my uterus lining was thicker than normal. So my doc wanted to do a SHG, took a month to get it cleared through my insurance then the doc’s office asked me to give a call once i get my periods & when i did, they just gave me an appointment almost 20 days from my periods starting date. All my research suggests the procedure should be done within 7 – 10 days from the first day of the period…i questioned it but the doc just said that she has appointment only on that date & that it is ok to do the procedure even after 10 days. I’m not trying to get pregnant, just want to figure out why my lining is thicker than normal. So my question is – is it ok to do the procedure around my ovulation time? pls can anyone shed some light…i’m really freaked out – about the appointment & the reason my lining is thick!!!

I had this done today. I was told that this wouldn’t be painful like the HSG was, and well the HSG wasn’t painful, so I thought ” this can’t be painful”. I asked to be late for work, thinking sine tis wasn’t going to be painful I could make it work. Wrong! Imto

I had this done today. I was told that this wouldn’t be painful like the HSG was, and well the HSG wasn’t painful, so I thought ” this can’t be painful”. I asked to be late for work, thinking that this wasn’t going to be painful I could make it work. Wrong! The ibuprofen that I took prior to it didn’t help. The nurse and the tech were the ones performing it. It was so painful it reminded me of when I was miscarrying the first time it happened to me. After the specula was removed The pAin didn’t subside, my whole body, my fists were clenched
. I couldn’t stop crying I was breathing as if I has in labor. This is no joke. They found “calcification” they gave me one pill For pain after, they prescribed me an antibiotic a two and half day course. The doctor told me that for the next procedure they would be giving me Valium for my hysterectomy procedure to remove the calcification, run tests on it then wait for the results. The if it’s benign then we can move on in our process for IVF . My advice, ask for Valium prior to the saline fusion sono, take a mild pain killer, and pray your nurse is comforting, make sure your not driving,take the next day off from work. My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for 4 and half years, this was painful, a different kind of pain, not the kind we experience when have a hard time conceiving, if pain is what we must go through to be able to get pregnant then it’s well worth it. I just don’t want anyone to believe that this will be a breeze, although like they told me ” oh this isn’t painful, it’s not like the HSG” it’s not true for everyone. I hope and pray that all of us reading all these experiences will be blessed with all that we have been praying for. Take care.

33 year old virgin just had SHG done this am. I was so super psyched scared from all the reading I have been doing. Even made my sister come with me to drive me home. Took 800 mg advil even though i was suggested 400. Did both the pelvic and SHG today. Nothing was worse then drinking all that liquid so early in the am! I was super petrified for the SHG part and I have to say it was a breeze. The dr used the smallest speculum on me due to my virginity. I only had one cramp when there was I think an air bubble trapped as they were trying to check my tubes. The whole thing was super quick and the dr was great. Polyp confirmed – hysteroscopy and d&c booked :(. Did have immediate bleeding and I’ve been in and out of the washroom but no gush of liquid. Pad did come in handy though I didn’t get told that from the clinic but more from reading. Wouldn’t hesitate to have it repeated if need be.

Hi, I am 43, have skipped periods here and there over the last few years and when I did have my period it would last maybe 10 days. Recently I skipped the months of August and September, I then started my period on October 15th and had it through November 29th. It was not heavy til the last couple of weeks. So here’s my situation, I went to my gyno..I assumed and still assume I am perimenopausal. So my gyno recommends I have a endometrial biopsy to rule out uterine cancer and a sonohysterogram. I went through the endometrial biopsy which was extremely painful. Test results came back negative for uterine/endometrial cancer. So I really see no need in having the sonohysterogram. My Mom and sister both had heavy bleeding episodes before the onset of menopause so I assume I just inherited that whole situation. I explained this to my gyno but he seemed disinterested and said I need to go ahead with the sonohysterogram even though my bleeding has stopped. Have any of you heard of having this procedure done after a negative cancer test? I feel as though it’s a pointless procedure, I mean even if I had it done and they found polyps, will they not dissipate on their own with menopause? Sorry this is so long but my sonohysterogram is scheduled for Wednesday in the office with no pain medication or antibiotic prescribed. I am 99% sure I am going to cancel but wanted some feedback before I make a final decision. Thanks so much for your time.

Had mine done today. Was told to take 800mg of ibuprofen one hr before. Dr had said would feel pain like cramps during the procedure. I had two vaginal births so was told might not be too bad…and it really wasn’t. I felt some mild discomfort and a slight pinching at times but procedure only lasted about 5 mins at the most. My cramping came after the procedure…had mine at 1:30 today and it’s now 6:30 and I am feeling pretty bad cramps and it hurts to walk but it’s more uncomfortable than painful. What I have found is that everyone is different and everyone has vastly diff experiences! My experience was nothing like what my dr said cause I was told my pain would be during the procedure not after…but it’s nice to know I’m not alone.

I am scheduled for one this afternoon as part of a battery of reproductive tests. I am prepared with an 800 ibuprofen but I am still nervous and anxious. I just want to get it over with!
Thanks ladies for sharing your experiences

Had a sono/endometrial biopsy same day. The pain was not as bad as I thought during the procedure. Afterwards the pain was very bad and also unexpected. I wish the doctors would tell of all possible complications. I was very uncomfortable and was having sharp intermitent pain in my pelvic area. I even had frequent urination for 5 days. On the 5th day I went back to the doctor because I just couldn’t believe the discomfort. I did start to feel better on the 6th day but after seeing the doctor I went back into being uncomfortble again. I have polyps and have to have a d&c. I am dreading it because if The test I had was uncomfortable wht about the d&c procedure. It also says that you will be able to get back to your normal routine in a few days. I dont’t believe it. God help all who have to have it.

I had a sonohysterogram this morning and unfortunately, it was some of the worst pain I’ve had in my life. However, I have a VERY sensitive cervix and a retroverted uterus- maybe these factors contributed to the pain. The saline solution injection resulted in crippling pain. I nearly fainted and was extremely sweaty. It took me 20 minutes to be able to sit upright without feeling faint. The radiologist explained that some patients get a vagal response like this after the procedure. I was never told to take painkillers prior to the procedure but I wish I had. Although the procedure is brief, it is not something I’d ever want to go through again. Ask about taking pain meds prior to the test in order to avoid this potential experience.

I had a sonohysterogram 2 days ago. The procedure itself was slightly uncomfortable and I was fine for about an hour afterwards and then suddenly I was dizzy and nauseous and had to sit down on the street in NYC next to a cop (not ideal!). I had cramps all afternoon and got a slight fever that night (100.5). Now 2 days later I am bloated and uncomfortable and wondering how long it takes to feel normal again.

Hi, thanks for posting your experiences with sono. I had it done the first time in 2009, just a little bit of cramping during the procedure, and that’s it. But after a week, I ended up in ER for unbearable pain on my right side. I had an infection. But I don’t know where it came from, I really didn’t think that it was from sono. The ER dr thought I had kidney stones, I had ultrasound done and results were normal. But my bloodtest showed that I had an infection.

I had another sono this morning but now my doctor told me that there is a chance of getting an infection after (that explains the infection in 2009!) so i was told to take antibiotics 2days before the procedure. I did that. But after the procedure this morning at 9am up to now already 1:00 in the morning, i am still having abdominal pains… I am crying of pain while writing this. Should I take pain meds? But I am taking antibiotics. I don’t want to take so many meds at the same time…will this go away?

I had this procedure done 3 days ago to determine if I had a septum in my uterus. Before I went in, I was on this site reading others experiences, and needless to say I was scared out of my mind! I’ve never had a baby so I just figured this would be very painful. Let me just say that there was nothing to be scared of! I worked myself up for absolutely no reason. The procedure was very simple and virtually pain free. It was slightly uncomfortable and I did feel a bit of pain, but really for no longer than 5 seconds. I didn’t experience cramping during or after either. I know that we are all different and this is extremely painful for some, but I thought I would share my experience for others who are reading all of the horror stories and giving themselves anxiety! It’s not horrible for everybody!

Hi, I am 22 and married. I had this done two hours ago due to the presence of uterine polyps (I passed a rather large one a month ago). I am feeling totally fine now after the procedure. I got in the car right away and went back to my be in my college classes. The pain I felt lasted for MAYBE about 10 seconds and was when my OB inserted the balloon and blew it up with the saline water. After that, it was just minor discomfort of the probe. I have a tipped uterus as well- but honestly, not much pain for me in this procedure. At least not as much as I expected. I did take 3 Ibuprofen an hour beforehand. Just some discomfort and a lot of nerves as I did not know what to expect. Good luck to you!

I just had the Saline Sonogram with the baloon and did not experience anything like what majority of the women are writing. I had mine done at Portsmouth Naval Hospital and the only pain/cramping I felt was when the baloon was being inflated. I had the saline come out of me when I sat up. I had some additional cramping for about 10 minutes about 30 mins after I left the hospital, but nothing crazy. I did not take any pain relievers or antibiotics either. This is the second time I’ve had this done.

Had this done this morning, the only painful part was when they were inflating the balloon. i took 2 Bayer aspirin(full strength) prior and have had no pain since. the whole procedure took 15-20 minutes max.

Hi.. I had my saline hysterography about 6 weeks ago on day 8 of my cycle.. It was a very painful procedure for me and the pain in my lower back lasted for about a week.. I wasn’t able to sit/stand in one position for more than 5 mins at a stretch.. Other than that I didn’t get any complication (no bleeding or UTI).. But now my period is due for past 2 weeks and there is no sign other than
me being a bit moody and a bit crampy.. I was wondering whether others experienced late period like me
post their Saline Sonohystetography?

My HSG was a breeze, I was so nervous for it, but I didn’t feel anything! the sonohystagram was awful!!!!!! I was not expecting pain, it was the worst cramps I’ve ever had. My uterus was tilted so the nurse was trying to push on my abdomen, yikes just awful. I would recommend taking Motrin before hand.

Hi ladies I had saline hysterography on may 31st . It was a very painful procedure for me and the pain in my lower back is sever.. I am not able to sit/stand in one position for more than 5 mins at a stretch.. I went to see my gynecologist 4 days later i was barley standing she said the pain had no relation with that procedure!!!!!! i am taking 4 times IBPROFIN a day now to be able to move

I had one of these two days ago to check if I was a good candidate for IVF. I took antibiotics and a strong painkiller that has usually worked well on my cramps in advance (Toradol). The test was definitely uncomfortable, and the cramps were painful. It was a short procedure — maybe 5 minutes max, if you don’t count the vaginal ultrasound they did before that. Unfortunately, I respond badly to pain caused by smooth muscle contractions. I lost consciousness during the procedure and my blood pressure remained extremely low for the next hour. The cramps continued and with every wave of them, I would fall a little bit back toward unconsciousness and would feel nauseous. It was very obvious by the doctor’s and the nurse’s reactions that this response was unusual — they didn’t even have a room for me to lie down in to recover, and had to wheel me to a neighbouring clinic that had a recovery room when I explained I could not walk that far by myself. The good news is that one hour later, I felt fine, and the cramps were gone.

I had this procedure done today, after reading all of these comments last night I was SUPER Nervous. I have had 2 kids, so I don’t know if that helps a little, but I took 1 extra strength Advil 1 hour before.

The procedure was done by a very friendly women doctor, she explained everything, and told me it would be done in a few minutes and she talked me thru it the whole time.

I have to say it was uncomfortable, but not nearly as bad as many of the women above have said. I felt a tiny bit of a cramp during.

You do bleed a bit so make sure you take a pad to put on afterwards. I am feeling ok, but I think the Advil is still working. So far so good.

Good luck to everyone else, but I feel ok and I had it done 45 mins ago.

This procedure sounds pretty horrible to map out fibroids and see if they can be removed. Not looking forward to this at all. I am sure if a woman invented this test it would be less invasive. This is ridiculous to anticipate. More after the procedure on Friday. Maybe I’ll cancell it.

I am the NUMBER ONE wimp when it comes to pain! I read this blog and was ready to call it off, but figured I’d give it a try and just stop the procedure if it got to be too much. I told the doctor and the tech before they started that I would tell them if I needed them to stop and, of course, they were super nice about it. So,there I was, shaking and trying not to cry, bracing for pain comparable for labor and…nothing. Like a big, fat nothing. They told me what they were doing each step of the way and I kept thinking, “Okay, here it comes!” and then I would feel…nothing. My uterus is tipped, I’ve never had a baby, and I know nothing of my cervix, so I don’t know what exactly made the difference for me. I’m sure it was an experienced doctor and tech. The tech told me that they do so many of these a week they get to be pretty good at them. My advice would be, don’t go through your regular OB/GYN office! Schedule this with a infertility office if you can! They do this procedure so much, compared to a regular office that only may do it once a month.

So, for all you wimps like me (or maybe your not just wimpy, just scared stiff after all these horror stories) give it a try and you can always say, “Stop!” if it is too much for you. Much love to you all!

I had this done yesterday, and unfortunately I didn’t read up about the test beforehand. When scheduling it, no one at the doctor’s said anything about pain or after affects. The doctor had to put the balloon in twice because the first one moved. Had to do the saline twice… that part hurt some. I went back to work (test was done around 2:30pm) and was okay. But when I was driving home around 6:00pm, the cramping started, and my hands were shaky. I walked in the house, went straight to bed with the heating pad, naproxen, wine, chocolate and ibuprophen, and Natural Calm. I was in tears. It hurt to move side to side, roll over, etc. I was able to sleep through the night and this morning the pain is there but mild. Looking back, they did had me a consent form to sign (right as I was getting undressed) that mentioned some serious side effects, but I didn’t give it much thought because they didn’t verbally say anything – I just thought it was a worst case scenario. They want me to have this done again in a month – Hell No!

I had this done yesterday and I have to say I’m glad I didn’t see this blog before it was done. It would have freaked me out!
Here is my advice now that I know, take something strong preferably a Vicodin and of course have someone drive you. I took 2 Advil and it didn’t do anything for me. The entire ordeal was completely uncomfortable so tensing up only made it harder on me and the doctor. It hurt bad and I was not anticpating how big of a procedure this was. I guess I didn’t think it could be much compared to a c-section and then a surgery for an embedded IUD. I was dead wrong this was right up there with the cramps that come with a misscarriage (from experience) not a regular period, no way, not even close. Afterwards I was shakey from the adrenaline but I was alright just relieved it was over. I was able to meet up with my folks for lunch at the Olive Garden immediately after so I was alright. I got home and was spent. The cramps kicked in so I grabbed my nook and my heating pad and woke up feeling fine.
A day later & I’m still spotting and I feel like I may be getting a bladder infection now because I feel that pull when I pee. So we shall see.
Overall it’s bad but bearable. If I would have taken something stronger it would have been better. My doc said she would have called in a prescription for me if she knew the Advil wouldn’t have been enough. It’s not enough, call it in!!! Good luck ladies!

To all you ladies reading these blogs, I spent the whole night reading all the comments about this procedure. After being scared to go in this morning, almost cancelled out of fear, IT WAS NOTHING. I did not cramp up, I did not spot either.I told the technician that I was scared half to death from this website, I asked her to warm the speculant, so I would be more relaxed, I remembered to breathe & it was over before I was able to ask when I was supposed to feel the pain. Don’t stress too much, &ignorance is bliss. DON’T STAY UP ALL NIGHT READING OTHER PEOPLE’S HORROR STORIES. but I did take 800 ibuprophin.

I too am glad I didn’t read this blog before my procedure. I had mine yesterday and for me it was worse than that HSG. It was definitely uncomfortable during and a few seconds of some more intense pain, kind of like a pap smear on crack. When I got home I was baking and doing stuff around the house for Thanksgiving and felt “ok”. Today I am very sore and kind of crampy but am taking it easy. I was told to take Ibuprofen before hand and did so as instructed, I don’t think it really helped. All in all it was a quick procedure but I am definitely still a little uncomfortable today. Good luck!

I had Sonohysterogram today , it was painless, and simple procedure at least where and whom did the procedure for me. it is a good process to find polyps or tumors. Im glad i had it done and i would recommend everyone not to worry about the procedure, it is safe . after reading this blog i was scared to go myself, im sure some of the comments are real, but not everyone has those problems. mine was simple and painless

I had one done today. It was extremely painful and I nearly passed out. Severe nausea. This procedure should NEVER be performed without freezing or sedation. This is absolute cruelty to patients and should be seriously be looked into . ANYONE GOING IN FOR THIS PROCEDURE SHOULD DEMAND TO BE SEDATED OR GIVEN FREEZING.

I had this procedure done yesterday and I wasn’t aware that it was very similar to an HSG until I was in the room with the ultrasound tech. When I had the HSG two years ago, I had an adverse reaction, passed out shortly afterwards while walking out of the test area to the waiting room in the hospital, and began vomiting. So, needless to say, I was terrified once I realized this procedure was similar. Honestly, I have to say that the SSI was more painful for me than the HSG. The “pinch” that the doctor told me I would have when inserting the catheter was extremely intense. I had a lot of cramping and bleeding after. I would definitely suggest keeping pads handy for bleeding and for the release of the saline that was injected. An interesting bit of information from my doctor… as I’ve never had a child, these types of procedures tend to be more painful since my cervix has never dilated and my uterus has not gone through the expansion and contractions that go along with being pregnant and giving birth. Definitely makes sense to me, but I wish they would give a little more warning – especially to those of us that have not been pregnant/given birth yet. Hope this helps!

Had my 2nd SHG yesterday in a different location than my original. This one was done in ivf clinic. The dr was late and rushed and I definitely felt she was gruff and rough. My first was a breeze. This one hurt Alot and I had a huge gush of saline and blood after. She did a pap first which was a breeze minus the huge speculum she used on a virgin (I’m freezing eggs) which pinched and hurt. Then for the SIS the catheter and TV wand were okayish but she forced the water in way too fast causing cramping and air bubbles and way too much discomfort after knowing the first one was barely anything. Not impressed with her technique! 4 advils and I feel like I need more today for the cramping

I had the hysterosonogram last week and it was not as bad as I had thought. Before the procedure, I spent hours searching the internet to get information about it and how others experienced it. I almost cancelled the procedure a few hours before my appointment as I read so many bad experiences on this website. I was so afraid that it would hurt too much or that I’d have an infection afterwards. But I also din’t want to pay the no show fee, and still wanted to find out whether I had polyps. My doctor prescribed antibiotics and ibuprofen 600 mg to take before the procedure but I didn’t want to take antibiotics because I read here that some women took antibiotics and still got infection while some others said they didn’t take any and still had no problems. Knowing that antibiotics may cause more harm than good, I decided at the last minute that I wouldn’t take it. I didn’t want to take ibuprofen either because it may prevent ovulation and I was about a few days before I normally ovulated. But I still kept some pills in my pocket in case I was so scared of the pain and changed my mind at the last minute. I had to wait nearly an hour before the procedure and during that time my mind went wild. I was so worried that I couldn’t endure the pain while still not wanting to let the drug destroy any of my slight chance of getting pregnant this month. At last I gave up and took one pill of only 200 mg (instead of three as prescribed) just to calm my nerve. The procedure went very fast, and I only felt cramping when the doctor inserted the catheter and pumped the saline into my uterus. But it was not so bad that I even doubted I needed to take the ibuprofen. And when I sat up most the saline flushed out. I had very little spotting or saline coming out and definitely not any pain at all afterwards. I found out I had a polyp which might be the cause of my infertility. So I’m glad I did the procedure, and want to share my experience so that anybody who’s about to have to do it don’t have to be scared to death. I’m really sorry for those who have bad experience though. I’ve heard that whether you’ll have a problem free procedure or not depends a lot on the skills of who performs it.

I just had this done this afternoon; I actually had it scheduled for several months ago but I made the mistake of googling the procedure, read this message board and thoroughly freaked myself out. Unlike most of the other women I had this done not for infertility (in fact, I’m a virgin so I was extra nervous, I just had my first pap smear a couple years ago and I’m not used to much manipulation down there but because my periods are highly irregular; instead of getting a period I’ve been having spotting every day. Anyhow, it ended up being absolutely fine. It was uncomfortable but nothing unbearable, in terms of discomfort I would put it just a bit above a pap smear, and only because it takes a little longer (and even then only about 5 minutes). I went alone and drove myself home right after, and I haven’t had any cramping. I did take 600 mg of ibuprofen before hand. I hope this encourages anyone reading who is as terrified as I was

I just had an SIS performed three days ago. I didn’t take any medication (ibuprofen or antibiotics) before or after. I barely felt ANYTHING other than the cold ultrasound thing they put in you. The whole thing was over in less than 15 minutes. I had mild cramping afterwards and very little spotting. I wonder if since I’ve already given birth to a 9 pound baby maybe my cervix is just a little more open and therefore everything went in easier? I seriously couldn’t feel what they were doing at all.

However, the next morning I woke up completely covered in blood and had 3 inch long blood clots coming out. I called the nurse and she said that as long as the clots were dark red instead of bright red and I wasn’t soaking through a pad an hour it should be fine. I’m still spotting now, but it’s mostly brown and much less volume.

Except for being surprised by the quantity of blood, everything went very smoothly and painlessly. I’m so sorry to everyone that had such poor reactions to this procedure!

I just had this done today along with a uterine biopsy. Honestly, it wasn’t painful at all. I did take my Advil beforehand, but the worst part was the biopsy and that was just a little ‘twinge’. Very bearable and very quick. Maybe my doctor is a ‘super woman’ at this procedure, but I will tell you, my cramps from my period are 100 times worse than having this procedure done. Everybody is different with their pain tolerance, but I wouldn’t consider this a horrible experience at all.

Appt today for a vaginal US to check uterine lining. Tech thought she saw some “thickening” in uterine wall. NP decided a sonohysterogram needed to be done. NP unable to pass through cervix after 4-5 attempts. NP called in Doc. Doc used 2 different dilators and was successful. Moderate cramping/pinching noted during procedure. Left office a little crampy with no specific discharge instructions. 15 minutes after procedure started intense constant cramps. Almost unable to drive home. Sweating, dizzy and nauseous. Pain more intense than labor contractions. I was unsure what to do because I was on the interstate and was 45 minutes from home. Got home and took 80o mg of motrin. Symptoms lasted for 5 hours. Never expected a reaction like this and will admit it scared the bgg’s out of me.

Just wanted to add…make sure if you have this procedure done that you have a driver. Adverse reactions can be rare but it’s best to be prepared. Adverse reactions have little to do with pain tolerance or anxiety levels. We all are made a little different and it is almost impossible to determine when an adverse reaction can occur to you.

I had this procedure done two days ago. I took 600 mgs of ibuprofen and a percocet before I went. My fiance drove me which was a very good thing cuz I did have leaking, cramping and nausea. They did have a little trouble getting the catheter to stay in cuz my uterus/cervix is tilted. The doctor knew what he was doing (and I was a little high) so it wasn’t that terrible. So far I’m having some spotting, but feeling much better than I felt the first day. The uterus looks good and I’m excited to move forward with IVF. So to sum it up ladies…pill up, get a ride and bring a pad 😉

My doctor told me I needed to have this before having an endometrial ablasion. I am so glad I read this blog, I have a tilted uterus and had a c-section and can barely stand a pelvic exam. I think I will just deal with the heavy periods for now. Thanks to all for your advice!

Mother of three & have high tolerance for pain. I had my first one of these yesterday. Soon as they begun I was screaming in agony. I was so embarrassed but couldn’t stop because of the extreme, horrible pain. Having babies doesn’t hurt like that. That is nature. This feels was wrong and my body was screaming at me to stop. RUN. It is horrible and barbaric. I will NEVER, in my life, ever do this procedure again. They said everything looked normal and were unsure of my pain. The doc said some folks just have hard time with it and most don’t. : ( I am 40 years old and have never experienced horrible pain as this simple test gave. Good news once it was over (10 minutes) the screaming stopped but the sobbing continued. I am still sore today but manageable. You don’t know it will hurt till you have it done. Good luck to you. I pray you are part of the norm and have mild pain.

Reading these horror stories freaked me out for no reason, just as with my endometrial biopsy. My gyn urged me to have this procedure after bleeding for 7 months straight and my endometrial bx showed there may have been a polyp. I didn’t want to have it. I was fearful another Dr (and a male Dr) may not be as gentle. This procedure could not have been more perfect. The nurse explained everything to me while showing me the instruments they will use. Then the Dr came in, went through most of it again and really put me at ease. He explained what he was going to do each step of the way. At one point he asked if I felt the cath and I told him I felt nothing. I have never been pregnant so I thought each step would be excruciating but I barely felt anything. The most pain I felt was from the speculum and the Dr started off with the smallest speculum in hopes it would suffice and it did. So even that discomfort was minimal. I felt slight cramping with the saline but before I knew it, it was over and he even cleaned me up as much as he could himself. I felt no cramping after but I have been bleeding for about 4 days. I was told that it’s normal to bleed for 7-10 days after the procedure so I’m not concerned at all. I think the take home message is to ask questions and feel comfortable. It’s unacceptable to not be talked to prior and told what to expect and the not knowing can make the pain seem worse. I am fortunate I had a very experienced doll of a radiologist perform my procedure.

I did the HSG last year and it was the worst pain in my life. Today I had the SHG and I worked myself up anticipating the pain I felt during HSG, my blood pressure prior to procedure was 160/85 and I normally run low! My doctor assured me she would be gentle and would stop if I felt I could not tolerate the pain. I was so fortunate that the only discomfort I felt was the pressure of my full bladder. The ultrasound was fast and painless for me. I am so happy this test is over and Niw I have been given the green light for IVF in the coming weeks.

Has anyone here experienced more cramping than usual just before the onset of a period a few weeks after a sono? Going through this now – cramping and stabbing pain in the ovary area and lower in the pelvis and wondering whether these new cramps which I haven’t ever experienced before moght have something to do with the sono I had on day 10 of my cycle. My sono, like many of yours, felt like pressure for 10 seconds or so, followed by four days of cramping and spotting and a week or so of bloating, query some king of pelvic infection, I suspect. Wondering what all that would mean for the next period, since Zi have been having noticeable cramping, different from ever before, unless it is a pregnancy symptom. Thanks!

I had my SIS on Friday and it was a little uncomfortable and I had my husband with me for support. I had cramping on the way home that was mild and subsided after a 2 or3 hours afterwards. I spotted afterward and am still spotting and its Sunday. I had some cramping last night but nothing really bad. Thing thats the most annoying is tge spotting. My Doc didnt tell me to take and pain meds or antibiotics. Unlike with my HSG I was told to take pain meds before and after and I was put on a antibiotic defore the procedure. I found that my HSG was much easier faster and pain free for me unlike my SIS.

I just came across this website and also wanted to share my experience with you all. Firstly I am sorry for all those who had a negative experience. Women’s bodies are so complicated and if only men knew what we have to endure.

As most of you, I myself was quite nervous about getting a SHG test done as well. I have read the blogs but yet still kept an open mind as every women reacts differently. I was told to take two advils 1 hr prior to the procedure and that I would experience cramp like symptoms. Upon arriving I was very nervous trying not to have any expectations. The technician asked me to review a waiver form highlighting the risk associated with the test and if I am allergic to latex. I signed the form and waited inside the examination room. My doctor came in with the technician and told me to lay down and she walked me through the whole procedure. The technician could see how nervous I was and started speaking to me to divert my attention she was quite pleasant and I just took deep breaths. When the doctor inserted the specalum it did hurt but nothing that I couldn’t tolerate. Next came the catheter which was a bit uncomfortable as she could not insert it properly (mind you I also have a retroverted uterus) so she had to try again and got it in successfully. However when the saline went in “BOY OH BOY” my uterus did not like that one bit and I felt so bad and embarrassed as I moaning in agony. The cramps lasted a few seconds and came in waves. After it was done I was bleeding light/medium and the saline flushed out. The technician told me this is normal and I will be sore for a few hours. I put on a pad and went straight to work. I was bleeding lightly for a few hours but the cramping diminished as soon as the procedure was done. I did not have any other symptoms that alot of you had which I was afraid of as I am prone to getting UTI’s. Overall I wish and do not want to experience this ever again. Absolutely unpleasant.

I just had a hysterosonogram this morning and it went smoothly. I was so incredibly freaked out and read everyone’s comments here, which did help to prepare me. But the experience was less painful than I anticipated. I do recommend talking with the doctor beforehand. Mine was kind enough to explain the whole process and walk me through it so I didn’t have as much anxiety. Even with the difficulty getting the balloon catheter in, which was uncomfortable but really not horrible (and I don’t have a great tolerance for pain). What I think helped was I took two extra strength Tylenol about 1.5 hours before, and an Ativan that I had been prescribed. If your nervous, ask your doctor for a relaxant and it will really help. You just may want to take a few hours or a day off if you can since the Ativan can knock you out. It’s worth it though. And the feeling of relief when it’s over is the best.

I just had a sonohysterogram this morning as well… I was a bit nervous! Tried to read only positive experiences online. Anyway the whole procedure took approx 15mins for me. Transv, speculum was easy, just like a papsmear. Insertion of catheter wasn’t so bad. When the doctor inflated the catheter inside, that’s when i experienced bad menstrual cramps. When saline was infused, it made the pain a little bit worse. It wasn’t traumatizing though, so no worries. Think of it as just having menstrual cramps on your 1st or 2nd day of period!

At the begining of this year we started seeing a fertility dr. He was at a private infertility clinic and we didn’t need a referal from a doctor to see him. He ran all the standard tests including a sonohysterogram (most painful thing ever). He told us everything looked great and that the dye drained out of my tubes perfectly (my left tube was a little “lazy” were his words). After a few more standard test his concusion for us not getting pregnant (ttc for 24 months) was that it was “unexplained inftertility” and suggested we try IUI. We went home that day and were very on and off about the idea. Something in the pit of my stomach was telling me to get a second opinion and that is just what I did. My second fertility doctor did the HSG test to check if my tubes were blocked, and sure and behold both tubes are blocked up. Also found out that a sonohysterogram does not check for blocked tubes. We are so angry and frustruated at this point. Why would a doctor assure you that everything was ok and suggest IUI without sending you to get the proper procedure done? Angry! Some doctors are sneeky asses who are looking to make an extra buck off you. If tubes are blocked IUI would have NEVER worked for us. We would have wasted our time, health and money. That being said PLEASE BE CAREFUL AND ALWAYS GET A DOCTOR REFERALL TO SEE ANY SPECIALIST. Also if something doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. Thanks for listening ladies, best of luck to all of you TTC!

I had a sono done on Jan 15 2015 to check for polyps right after the procedure I had some spotting by that evening I had more bleeding so I just assumed the procedure triggered my menstrual. I’m still bleeding til this day I’ve never had abnormal bleeding til this procedure I’ve called the obgyn md twice today still waiting for a call back. Please be very careful! I should have never done this!

I got myself SO upset and sick after reading the reviews on here. I just had it done this morning and while it was painful, it was tolerable. Maybe it was because my actual R.E. did the procedure… so she is more experienced than a tech. It did feel like period cramps and there were moments when I just wanted it to be over, but I didn’t die a slow painful death like I had thought I would. Would it be a test I’d want to repeat again? No…. but I could manage.

Hello, I had my sonohystogram done today. I almost cancelled but being a single mom and having a family history of cancer I decided I have to for my son. It wasn’t that bad, and zither techs had to get a dr because they couldn’t insert the catheter. After several attempts he succeeded. It helped that I told them of my anxieties. They were so compassionate, took their time, and explained everything they were doing! My tech was a great coach, even had me do breathing technique. I live is Massachusetts. I am grateful I went through with it; they found tumors and polyps. I was lucky to have some great techs!

Hello, I got a Saline Sonohysterogram done today and boy oh boy I could not have prepared myself for the amount of pain I was in. I have had two miscarriages (the first being the worst pain-wise) and I would say that the pain I felt was the same pain I felt when I miscarried the first time. Insertion of the speculum and swabbing the cervix with betadine was not bad at all, just like a PAP. As soon as the catheter was inserted I was in ALOT of pain and then once the balloon was inflated forget it! I was instantly sweating, thought I may vomit a couple of times, even swore a couple times before the waterworks began. I took three ibuprofen 30 minutes before and was prescribed to antibiotics. The ibuprofen did nothing. During my first miscarriage I was given morphine. After all of that the Dr. said they were not able to get the catheter in a good position and after removing everything from me asked if I wanted to try again, but could say no if I wanted. HELL NO! As much as I hated the possibility of experiencing all that pain for no reason I just couldn’t do it again. I know many people have had no pain at all, but I just wanted to share my experience as it comforted me knowing I was not the only one who had such an awful experience with this procedure.

Hey All- I just had this done and was terrified after reading these comments! I have never had a baby/I think pap smears are uncomfortable. Nonetheless, I hate to scare anyone else but it was not a walk in the park for me. My doc prescribed me Cytotec to take the night before and the morning of to soften my cervix…the worst part was having the catheter put in….it took my doc multiple tries as my cervix was so closed. Youch. Once that was in, they told me to take deep breaths, etc and calm down which was nice…. then they did the saline infusion which I didnt think was nearly as bad as having the catheter put in. It was over very quickly which was nice — I told them to let me know how much more I had to endure as I am a goal driven person! lol. Anyway, I did start to sweat, felt nauseous, and had an upset stomach from the pills which was no fun- literally for 10 minutes after I wanted to lay in the fetal position — they let me lay in a room for a while and brought me water and crackers. After that, the cramps started to go away and I feel fine now! My doctor told me that EVERYONE is different – they have had patients who have multiple children have the same reaction and people who haven’t had children think its a piece of cake. Don’t let this blog completely freak you out as there is no way of predicting how you will do. Overall- it is QUICK and efficient so just know it is about 15 minutes total of uncomfortableness. Anyone can handle that!

Glad I found this blog. I am 58 and have been post-menopausal for seven years. I take bioidentical hormones. If I don’t take them I feel horrible, can’t sleep and have constant, terrifying heart palpitations. I told my gyno that occasionally I have some light spotting every few weeks. She insisted I have a uterine ultrasound because HRT causes things to grow in the uterus. The first one revealed some kind of growth but they weren’t sure what so I had to have a second one, a saline injection, both of which I had to pay out of pocket for since insurance in America now officially sucks.

The doc had difficulty getting the catheter past my cervix; said my cervix must have some kind of bend in it, but he got the catheter halfway thru then squirted the saline in. It went in adequately, which was good. Sure enough, he did find a one-inch polyp and said it needs to come out as its filling up the entire uterine cavity. As he and the tech left the room they mentioned I might have some cramping. The minute I sat up I was hit with the most excruciating pain since childbirth. Half-naked, I went out into the hallway to ask for help cause I was ready to pass out. The doc said my uterus was spasming. They gave me 1000 mg ibuprofen, which did absolutely nothing. They said they couldn’t administer narcotic painkillers to me there but if I wanted some they’d have to transport me by ambulance to the nearby hospital. I opted not to do that as it would have cost me $1,200 for the ride, then who knows how much in the ER. I’ve never taken any narcotic painkillers but at that moment they were looking awfully good to me. But I just stayed at the doc office for the next four hours until the spasms eventually let go. They checked on me now and then and brought me blankets and snacks and I got another pelvic exam to make sure nothing else was going on with my uterus. The poor bastard was clearly traumatized.

I’ve had light cramping and bleeding off and on since Tuesday. But in the middle of the night last night severe cramps hit again, this time with much heavier bleeding. Couldn’t sleep obviously and am totally wrung out today. I took 1200 mg of naproxen which is definitely above the recommended dose but it finally calmed the cramps.

I am scheduled to see my doc this Thursday to talk about removing the polyp next month. I don’t know whether what happened last night is still a reaction to the saline injection or whether the polyp was activated by the procedure and now my uterus wants it out. Any thoughts from you all? I was ambivalent about the surgery to remove it, but honestly if the polyp is causing this pain, I want it out. And am I definitely demanding narcotics for after, as I assume I will have a reaction like this and probably much worse.

Hi ladies,
I just had my dreaded sonohysterogram, and it turned out to be very easy for me! A few weeks before the procedure, I found this forum, and was literally so nauseated by some of the things I read, I had to turn off the computer and lie down. Unfortunately, most people don’t post about routine procedures, when they have a routine experience, so what you’re seeing on here is a higher concentration of negative experiences. I do feel so badly for the women who did have painful experiences. However, if you are reading this, and are nervous about an upcoming procedure, please understand that you will most likely be just fine! My best advice is to make sure you are having it performed in an office that has lots of experience with the procedure. Good luck, and may you have an easy experience like mine!

Had the procedure done yesterday. This is actually my third time. One naproxine 550 mg hour before procedure and antibiotics started night before procedure, then continued twice daily until done. It was never painful , just uncomfortable. Since i wAs still bleeding lightly from my period, after procedure there was a gush of everything. Light bleeding continued over night and was gone the next day. Anonymous, i don’t know why the doc did not give u an antibiotic prescription to take before and after That doc is crazy to do a thing like that. Its to prevent infection . Everyone has different experiences, but this procedure is not as bad as it is exagerated.

I am so happy I came across this blog. I had my test done earlier today. I was fine up until I got up from the test. I had the worst shoulder pain. I started crying as I was walking to my car. I continued to go to work that day. When I got to the office I had the most terrifying cramps and I still do.

I am the worst at Googling too much. I guess this is why when I read nothing but okay things about this procedure, I pushed forward, the night before and found this forum. It is the only one I found with all of these terrible experiences. I am so sorry for those women that had such a bad experience and they should definitely voice it. But I want to share my experience. I read all of this the night before and was TERRIFIED Tuesday when I went in for the procedure. I will say that I believe the clinic and people which perform this have a big impact on the outcome. I love everyone at the clinic I use. I let each of them know how terrified I was and they kept trying to ease my mind. I let the doctor know before she started and she was so kind through the entire process. I am THE biggest wimp and spaz there is and I honestly felt NOTHING. It didn’t even feel uncomfortable. Actually, the regular vaginal ultrasound done beforehand was worse. Those are never fun, with lots of pressure and probing. With the saline ultrasound I didn’t feel anything. I THINK there might have been a little bit of ache in my upper thighs when she injected the water but it was so minimal I wasn’t sure. I did take one Aleve beforehand. And one after. I put on a pantyliner and felt some gushing, assuming it was water. I did find a little more than spotting but that was the only time. The next day I did have some gas in my upper chest and shoulder area, but not sure if that is from the antibiotics or the procedure. I want to tell the women who read this to be sure and let them know you are scared. And if you feel uncomfortable with them, maybe it isn’t the right place for you. Also, please just relax and don’t let your mind of worries overtake you because it could be like mine and many others, and not a big deal at all. By the way, they did find adhesions and possible polyp and recommended surgery to remove. Glad I found that out.

I just had this done today – nearly passed out afterward, plus I had pretty bad cramps. I had to lie down at the clinic for about 40 minutes after the procedure was over. They said some people just react like that, they call it a vagal response. I would definitely recommend taking some advil before the procedure, I wish I did!

But remember, most people who have no problem with the procedure don’t go on the internet looking for information on it and sharing their stories. They just continue on as usual. So you are just seeing the people who had a probelm with it. Chances are, you will be fine

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Who is Mel?

Melissa, otherwise known as Mel, The Stirrup Queen, and most recently nicknamed Lollipop Goldstein, has been blogging since 2006. In addition to STIRRUP QUEENS, she also writes the daily Lost and Found (LFCA). She also writes for BlogHer. You can join her on StumbleUpon. She's known to Twitter about her wonky ovaries.